Lagoa’s Socialist party has joined the fight against dredging plans for the Arade river.
In putting out a statement warning of the consequences, the local branch of the PS is effectively opposing its own hierarchy, as the project has the backing of the government – albeit dating back to 2016 when Ana Paula Vitorino was Minister for the Sea.
Says the statement, Lagoa Socialists “cannot accept the burden of compliance with a project that will cause irreparable environmental, social and patrimonial damages for coming generations”.
This has become the burning issue of the summer for the population of Ferragudo, whose signature beaches will be undeniably impacted if the dredging plan goes forwards and sees mountains of sand deposited on top them.
As Luís Veríssimo, Socialist president of Ferragudo Parish Council, has stressed, one of the clearest indications the project is misguided is the fact that rainwater drainage points will disappear – almost certainly precipitating the chances of flooding in the lower part of the village when ‘greater rainfall coincides with the high tide’.
The folly of projects that ignore rainwater drainage points are not new to the Algarve, but in this case, locals are wise to them and demanding reconsideration.
The PS statement is very clear, it says at a moment in which the national party is defending quality sustainable tourism and investing heavily in promo-campaigns throughout the world, a project that effectively defaces two stunning and touristically popular Algarve beaches makes no sense at all.
