The Mayor of Los Alcázares, Mario Pérez Cervera, is calling for an immediate halt to phase one of the proposed drainage works on the RM-19 road. The mayor believes that continuing with the project could heighten the risk of flooding in downstream municipalities near the Mar Menor. Pérez Cervera made this announcement following a recent visit to the site, where phase two of the drainage project has already been completed.

Pérez Cervera highlighted that the hydraulic capacity of the RM-19 road has been increased from four to twenty-seven cubic metres per second, marking an almost five hundred per cent rise. He noted that prior to twenty sixteen, the RM-19 had not experienced significant flooding, tying the changes to increased urban development in the area which has altered the natural flow of nearby watercourses.

The mayor also lamented the lack of consultation with the Town Hall during the planning and execution of the project. He stated, “We do not understand how works that alter the hydraulic flow can proceed without consideration of the municipalities downstream.” He stressed that proper assessments must be conducted to measure the impact of such changes before further improvements are carried out.

Phase two of the drainage works cost around seven hundred thousand euros and has already been completed, whilst phase one is set to exceed one million euros. The Town Hall of Los Alcázares has submitted three formal requests to halt all related contracts, urgently convene technical meetings with affected municipalities, and include a report from the Segura Hydrographic Confederation to assess flood risk implications.