CHJ Excludes Ravine Cleaning in Camp d'Elx

Elche's Public Services Councillor, Claudio Guilabert, alongside Pedanías and Camp d'Elx official, Raúl Sempere, reiterated the City Council's commitment to the comprehensive cleaning of all ravines within the municipal area, despite the lack of authorization from the Júcar Hydrographic Confederation (CHJ), which only permits clearing and pruning in the vicinity of the ravine and urban areas.

Guilabert recalled that in October 2022, the previous municipal government, through a plenary agreement, requested the CHJ to clean the ravines. Two months later, the City Council received a letter specifying municipal responsibilities, including cleaning drains, informing the public, emergency plans, and carrying out maintenance and conservation tasks, but only in urban sections.

The letter states that the so-called "cleaning of channels or removal of existing vegetation is not considered a corrective measure to eliminate the existing flood risk. In this regard, it is not acceptable for this body, whose functions include attention to the environmental aspects of the actions it promotes or informs, to associate the concept of cleaning a channel with the removal of inherent vegetation."

In this regard, Guilabert has made it clear that this municipal government "will clean the ravines from top to bottom, not only in the urban section as determined by the Hydrographic Confederation, but also in the Camp d'Elx area." He pointed out that "this is about safeguarding the integrity of all the residents living near the ravines."

He also denounced that these ravines "had not been cleaned for over a decade and were accumulating reeds, an invasive species, and had become real dumps." He stated that this responsibility lies with the hydrographic confederations, which "have neglected their duties."