Charlie Smith
THE overexploitation of water has resulted in thousands of illegal wells across Malaga, say Ecologistas en Acción.
It comes as rescue teams pulled the lifeless body of little Julen, 2, from an illegally dug well on Saturday morning.
But as the world still mourns the tot’s death, attention now turns to the illegal wells, which are often dug to steal water for irrigation.
Water could have been stolen from the well Julen was trapped in, after the builder who drilled it, Antonio Sánchez Gámez, revealed he had covered the hole.
Meanwhile, environmental group Ecologistas en Acción, estimate that 60% of Malaga wells are dug illegally.
Rafael Yus, the group’s president suggested that the ‘mango bubble’ could be to blame for the proliferation of illegal wells.
He said: “People search the farms, they make wells and they irrigate in very high places.”
The environmental chief claimed that there is a list of the illegal and legal wells in Malaga.
“Only the most visible, which are close to the rivers, are legal, the rest are just holes in the rock,” he added.
The Ecologistas en Acción coordinator in the area, Antonio Amarillo also said: “In the last few days we have registered an increase of people who have contacted us to denounce the existence of illegal wells.”
The news comes just days after another man was found dead along with his dog after falling into a Malaga well.
