Factories blamed for poisoning waters of Tejo River

Environmental association SOS Rio Tejo is threatening to go to “international entities” over the relentless poisoning of the Iberian Peninsula’s longest river which is killing shoals of fish as well as other animals, including otters.

The focus of the disaster is a “clear coloured foam” visible for months around the Fratel dam, in Abrantes.

According to national tabloid Correio da Manhã, the culprits appear to be factories in the nearby industrial area of Vila Velha de Ródão.

Environmental NGO Quercus highlighted the situation last summer, but there appears to have been no change since then, thus the new intervention from SOS Rio Tejo.

“The pollution is killing everything,” said spokesman Sebastião de Mattos. “We don’t understand why no-one is doing anything about it.”

CM explained it had tried to get answers from Portugal’s environmental agency, but that too was remaining tight-lipped.

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