The mayor of Antequera, Manuel Barón, criticises Adif for stopping the funding of water tankers in the Valle de Abdalajís and demands that they take responsibility. He proposed a pipeline years ago for €300,000 that was never executed.
The mayor of Antequera, Manuel Barón, has launched a scathing attack on Adif this Thursday regarding the water supply situation in the Valle de Abdalajís. The mayor believes that the state entity has shown a "brutal indifference" by ceasing to fund the tankers that supply the residents.
"Who caused the problem? Adif. Who has to solve the problem? Adif, because they caused it," Barón stated in comments to the media. The mayor insists that this is a "clear liability responsibility" on the part of the General State Administration.
An overlooked pipeline
Barón recalled that the Antequera City Council proposed a definitive solution three or four years ago: a pipeline from the water reservoir located in the municipality of Antequera to the destination reservoir in the Valle de Abdalajís. The initial cost was estimated between €300,000 and €400,000, a figure much lower than the ongoing expenditure on tankers.
However, that project was never carried out. The mayor pointed to the political situation in the Ministry of Transport during the tenure of José Luis Ábalos as a possible cause. "Maybe, since that pipeline project from Antequera to the Valley didn’t have a commission, that’s why it wasn’t done," Barón quipped, adding that the minister and the then-president of Adif "were much more concerned with other matters than providing water to the residents of the Valley."
A problem that festers
The Valle de Abdalajís has been relying on tankers for its water supply for years, a temporary solution that has dragged on over time. According to the mayor, the responsibility lies with Adif due to the AVE works that affected the area's water infrastructure. Meanwhile, residents endure cuts and restrictions that impact their daily lives.
Barón has demanded that Adif resume the pipeline project and execute it immediately. "We cannot continue like this. It is a matter of justice for the residents of the Valley," he emphasised. The mayor hopes that the new team in charge of the ministry will address a request he considers "common sense."
For now, the ball is in Adif's court. The state entity has not made any statements on the matter, but the Antequera City Council has already announced that it will take the issue to court if there is no response. Meanwhile, residents hope that this time the pipeline will not be forgotten.
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