MARBELLA has begun a costly beach clean-up operation to repair the region’s storm-battered beaches before peak tourist season.
At a price of over €400,000, Marbella Ayuntamiento is putting their all into sorting out their coastlines which have suffered ‘serious’ damage from storms and downpours in recent weeks.
Prioritising ‘coastal recuperation’ as tourism begins to ramp up, the municipality’s mayor, Angeles Muñoz is sending a plethora of resources to Marbella’s beaches.
“We are designating all the necessary measures to protect our coast after one of the most demanding winters that the city has experienced in recent years,” she says.
From heavy machinery to reed and debris removal, numerous individuals are working on the over 27 kilometres of coast – the municipality has even incorporated specific equipment ‘to sift the sand and optimise repair work’.
Currently it is estimated that the entire clean-up will cost close to €411,000.
The money will pay for the replacement of paths and damaged equipment, the rental of heavy machinery and the transport and delivery of sand from areas with a surplus.
It is the municipality paying every cent of this fee as ‘the Spanish government has not contributed a single euro to our city,’ according to Muñoz.
Having visited the most damaged beaches in Marbella, Muñoz has seen the ‘plant debris’ and ‘intense runoff’ that is present on the coastlines.
In Artola-Cabopino beach up to five metres of coastal fringe has disappeared and 1.2 metres of height has been lost in certain areas.
Even the mountain range has been affected with setbacks of up to 10 metres having exposed sewage pipes.
“We are working as hard as possible to guarantee safety, accessibility and quality on our beaches before the start of high season,” Muñoz reiterated.
Click here to read more Marbella News from The Olive Press.
