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ARCHIVED - Cartagena will benefit from 30 per cent of Mar Menor recovery fund
More than 484 million euros will be spent on protecting the Mar Menor
A huge budget of 484.4 million euros has been made available to aid the recovery, regeneration and future conservation of the damaged lagoon under the ‘Mar Menor recovery project,’ an extensive plan coordinated by the Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (Miteco).
Of the total funds, around 30%, or 144 million, has been earmarked for Cartagena, almost half of which will be focused on the boulevards of the Sierra Minera. This project includes 60 retention systems to prevent the arrival of polluting mining waste into the lagoon, and several of these blockades will be installed in the Rambla de Mendoza.
One of the biggest challenges will be renovating the existing sanitation systems and improving the pumping stations. For this job, 3.5 million has been set aside for locations in La Manga, Cala del Pino, Mar de Cristal, Islas Menores, Los Urrutias, El Carmolí, Los Nietos, Los Belones and La Puebla.
Another 400,000 euros in aid was also granted to alleviate the effects of flooding in municipal public buildings and privately owned properties.
It was previously revealed by the council that a major element of the recovery plan involves the creation of a ‘green belt’ that will make it possible to treat 960 tonnes of nitrates per year – that’s almost 70% of the total amount of harmful nutrients that flood into the Mar Menor.
In addition to this project, Cartagena will house two of the three semi-natural wetlands, which will be located in the bocarrambla of Albujón and in Miranda. Furthermore, three of the six future green filters will be installed at Albujón, Torre del Negro and Barranco Ponce. This considerable undertaking will cost around 66 million euros.
One of the largest chunks of cash has been dedicated to blocking the harmful heavy metals in the Sierra Minera, so that they are prevented from flowing further into the lagoon. Of the 77.17 million budget, 41.92 million will be used for works in Cartagena.
Image: Archive
