The Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 25th September 2024
by Mike Evans
A very good day to you all and as the change in the weather seems to have started with the first drops of rain for a long time the headline of this report is that there is to be no changes in the restrictions in place currently for water across the Algarve. This week the Minister for the Environment revealed that whilst Water consumption in the Algarve has decreased since May by between 9.6% in the urban sector and 35% in agriculture, it has been decided that the restrictions placed on the region will remain until the end of the year.
The first restrictions were put in place in February but were loosened in May. According to the Minister “It was agreed that agriculture and tourism would make a 13% water-saving effort. Agriculture made 35%, villages and developments that signed up to the ‘Save Water’ seal saved 14%, golf made a big effort, saving 22%, and municipalities, which should have saved 10%, saved 9.6%”, the minister specified.
Graça Carvalho admitted, however, that “there is inequality” between municipalities, adding: “There are municipalities that saved a lot and others that didn’t save, they stayed more or less the same”. The situation has not worsened according to the minister but he went on to say, “There is no worsening because, on average, we managed to exceed what we wanted to save and, therefore, we can say: the Algarve, as a whole, saved more water than we intended. That is very good. We have 16 cubic hectometres more than last year at the same time. But last year was a year of very severe drought, and we have to continue making a great effort”, she pointed out. In addition to saving on consumption, the minister stressed that it is necessary to “have new sources of water” and highlighted the set of investments for the Algarve in this sector, budgeted at 360 million euros, with 260 million coming from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR).
Graça Carvalho said that the tender for the award of the desalination plant project, to be built in the municipality of Albufeira, “is already in the final phase”, and that 100% financing by the PRR will be guaranteed if the project is carried out quickly. History tells us that new projects are not the quickest off the blocks so we wait to see if this project moves forward as quickly as the government would like.
Now a look at what else has happened across the region in the past week.
69 arrests in the Algarve
The Faro Territorial Command of the National Republican Guard reports that, in the week of September 9 to 15, 69 people were arrested, during a series of operations aimed at preventing and combating violent crime. Among those arrested, 17 were arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol, 14 for driving without a legal licence and 12 for drug trafficking.
In terms of accidents, the GNR recorded 107 accidents, resulting in one death and 22 minor injuries; and 1,148 infractions, the majority for speeding, 59 for failure to undergo mandatory periodic inspection, 39 for failure to wear or incorrect use of seat belts and/or child restraint systems, 23 for lack of civil liability insurance, 20 for improper use of mobile phones while driving, and 9 related to faults in the lighting and signalling systems. The GNR also seized 545 doses of cocaine, 299 doses of heroin, 254 doses of hashish and 4 mobile phones during the period indicated.
Two brothers accused of attempted murder of cafe owner in Bordeira
The Public Prosecutor’s Office ( MP ) has accused two brothers of attempted murder for having stabbed the owner of a café in Bordeira, in the municipality of Faro, 11 times, following an argument, it was announced this Tuesday.
According to a note published on the website of the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Faro District, charges were brought “against two men, aged 29 and 24 respectively, brothers, accusing them of committing attempted murder”.
The events took place on the night of March 22, 2024, in a snack bar located in Bordeira, in the parish of Santa Bárbara de Nexe , in Faro, and the two defendants are awaiting trial in preventive detention.
According to the prosecution, the 29-year-old defendant, accompanied by other unidentified individuals, was expelled from the establishment after an argument with the owner, who refused to serve him a coffee on the grounds that the bar was closing. This defendant and one of the individuals who had accompanied him went to meet the 24-year-old defendant and another person, returning to the same establishment approximately an hour after the initial disagreement.
The four men “engaged in verbal and physical confrontations with the owner and, finally, stabbed him 11 times, hitting him, among other areas, in the abdomen, left flank and chest, after which they left the establishment”, describes the accusation. “The victim only didn’t die because he was promptly taken to Faro Hospital,” the note reads. Sources revealed at the time that the two brothers were of gypsy ethnicity. The investigation was carried out by the Judicial Police.
Students from Olhão learn about mobility and road safety
Students from two 4th grade classes at Cavalinha Elementary School were the “main actors” in the activities that the municipality of Olhão promoted on Thursday, as part of the European Mobility Week – this year with the theme “Shared Space” -, which it once again joined.
On Avenida da República, students and passers-by were able to learn about and participate in various initiatives, such as taking part in a scavenger hunt on a route specially created for children by the Municipal Police Traffic School, watching a rescue by the Municipal Fire Department , hearing about the dangers for those who travel on the street or in vehicles without taking due care and how to improve circulation and accessibility.
The little ones realised the difficulties faced by those who move around a city without being able to see or with some kind of motor disability. Hélio Sousa shared his experience of daily mobility in a wheelchair.
On this day, there was also an opportunity to hear the Traffic Councillor, Ricardo Calé, the commander of the Olhão Municipal Police, Isabel Lobo, and the president of the Olhão Parish Council, Rui Gabriel, talk about mobility and road safety for children and the elderly, and it was also possible to learn more about the local government project “ Cidade 15 Minutos ”.The concept of a 15-Minute City is that each person can have access to all essential services, such as schools, health centres, shops, cultural facilities and green spaces, without having to travel long distances: a maximum of 15 minutes on foot.
This year, another highlight of the programme that marks the theme of mobility in the municipality of Olhão, involves the launch of a survey of the population on mobility in the historic centre of the city, which aims to collect data on the mobility experience in the area, identify the main issues and areas for improvement, as well as evaluate the measures implemented by the municipality and the level of knowledge of the residents in relation to them.
Tide water overflows and re-invades riverside areas
The sea water overflowed again this Wednesday, September 18, in several riverside areas of the region, known for being traditionally vulnerable to this type of phenomenon. In Portimão, Ferragudo (Lagoa), Lagos and Tavira , the water once again invaded the streets, but without causing damage.
Contacted by JA, the Faro District Relief Operations Command (CDOS) said that no emergency calls were recorded due to this phenomenon, which is already considered normal by the authorities, as it is associated with the tides (gravitational attraction between the moon and the earth) and the rise in sea levels.
Residents of the affected riverside areas are also used to flooding at this time of year. Water quickly floods the streets and surrounds parked vehicles, causing inconvenience for those caught unprepared.
Man Arrested in Castro Marim for rape of a teenager
A 44 year old man, with an outstanding arrest warrant for child molestation in the Azores, has at last been arrested by police in Castro Marim in the Algarve. The arrest warrant was issued by the Judicial Court of the Azores District, Ponta Delgada, in September 2016, due to strong evidence of the rape of “a 14 year old teenager”.
The arrest took place on Sunday, September 22 after the GNR of Castro Marim received reports of “a possible crime of sexual harassment of minors, which occurred in Castro Marim,” and discrepancies were then found in the identification of the suspect. The suspect was arrested, “verifying the existence of the aforementioned arrest warrant to serve a sentence of six years and six months for the crime of rape”, the Judiciary Police said.
The man was taken to the prison, to serve his sentence.
Portimao Man Arrested for Kidnapping His Mother
A 45 year old man has been arrested, suspected of kidnapping and domestic violence, after he barricaded himself in the house where he lives with his mother, keeping her trapped inside.
The arrest, by the Judicial Police (PJ) of Portimão, occurred “following the intervention by the Portimão Public Security Police.” The situation is said to have escalated to this after “a conflictual relationship between the detainee and the victim, aged 69”.
Police say the detainee has a history of crimes of theft, threat, assault and drug trafficking. He will be presented to the competent judicial authority for questioning and application of coercive measures.
Couple in their sixties arrested in Portimão for growing cannabis plants
The Faro District Command of the Public Security Police reported in a statement that it arrested a couple in their sixties for cultivating a narcotic product, namely cannabis sativa plants.
As part of an investigation carried out by the PSP in Portimão, under suspicion that a couple living in the city were cultivating cannabis plants, “it was possible to collect evidence of this criminal practice, after an order by the Public Prosecutor’s Office to carry out a house search”, which was carried out this Monday.
During the search, police seized 34 cannabis plants at various stages of growth inside and outside the home.At the same time, “significant quantities of that plant in a dry state were also seized, with a total weight of more than 3,800 grams, as well as oil extracted from it, sufficient for 2,720 individual doses, as well as various articles used in its cultivation, preparation and packaging, with the suspects claiming that the products were intended for consumption by themselves”, the PSP said in the statement.
As a result of the seizures carried out, the detainees were notified to appear at the Portimão Court.
Until the next time Stay Safe
In terms of accidents, the GNR recorded 107 accidents, resulting in one death and 22 minor injuries; and 1,148 infractions, the majority for speeding, 59 for failure to undergo mandatory periodic inspection, 39 for failure to wear or incorrect use of seat belts and/or child restraint systems, 23 for lack of civil liability insurance, 20 for improper use of mobile phones while driving, and 9 related to faults in the lighting and signalling systems. The GNR also seized 545 doses of cocaine, 299 doses of heroin, 254 doses of hashish and 4 mobile phones during the period indicated.
The Algarve is one area of the country where this lack of family doctors is most prevalent and it is good to see that the government is taking notice of the fact by the announcement of the creation of 20 Type C Family Health Units, by the Minister of Health on Wednesday, five of which will be based in the Algarve and will be managed by individuals or associations, Cristóvão Norte, vice-president of the PSD Parliamentary Group and president of PSD Algarve, points out that “the Algarve is one of the regions with the most users without a family doctor”. For this reason, “these units will mobilise the private and associative sector in order to guarantee faster access to health care and family doctors for many thousands who currently do not have them”, stresses the person in charge.
The operation, called “Safe use of TVDE”, took place on the 5th and 6th of September, having been carried out simultaneously in Lisbon, Porto and Faro, in nearby areas and at local airports.
The initiative, within the scope of the International Day for Disaster Reduction, “aims to provide the general public with information on the functioning of structures linked to the sector (national and European), some projects and also the challenges that arise in the face of the impact of climate change that has led to an increase in disaster scenarios”, highlights the municipality.
In addition to highlighting the importance of seat belts, the campaign also highlights the need to use an approved and properly adjusted helmet and child seats, which significantly reduce the risk of serious injury or death.
In the Barlavento Algarve river basin , the amount of water retained fell from 19% in July to 16.7% in August. This basin continues to be the one with the lowest amount of water reserves. According to SNIRH data, the Arade basin was at 34.8% at the end of August (37.7% in July). The amount of water also dropped in the Mira basin from 39.4% (in July) to 38.4% in August.
Police authorities seized 273 counterfeit items in Vila Real de Santo António, during inspections carried out in the towns of Monte Gordo and Manta Rota, announced the GNR .