Calls urge public authorities to act on Playa Jardín, closed for “nine months”
Santa Cruz de Tenerife, 23 Mar. (Europa Press) –
The Stop platform for the sea has urged the municipality of Puerto de la Cruz (Tenerife) to hold a demonstration in opposition to the ongoing closure of Playa Jardín, which has been inaccessible for bathers for nine months due to a malfunctioning sewer that discharges wastewater into the sea.
During the gathering this Sunday at 12:00 hours, starting at Playa de Martiánez, the relevant institutions, including the City Hall, Cabildo Tenerife, and the Government of the Canary Islands, will be called upon to “purify responsibilities” and “begin work”. Overall, they demand “proper management” of wastewater.
“We cannot permit our coastlines to become polluted; we must strive for a clean and healthy sea,” stated Candelaria Padilla, vice president of the platform, to Europa Press.
Padilla, representing the group, has condemned the situation at Playa Jardín, which remains closed after nine months, as one that “cannot persist any longer”. Thus, the Cabildo de Tenerife is called upon to initiate the necessary works—the complete repair of the emitter and the expansion of the local treatment plant—”to proceed with the awarding and commencement of the solution.”
“This is a scenario that cannot be normalised,” commented the vice president of the organising platform, who highlighted that this issue has repercussions on residents, merchants, and the citizens of Tenerife, impacting tourists as well.
Anticipating the demonstration this Sunday, the group believes there will be “sufficient public involvement”, supported by the presence of unions, groups, and associations that advocate for this cause or wish to back this protest.
“We recognise that we are not the only ones,” Padilla noted, recalling the problem of wastewater as there are many known “emissaries, including numerous illegal ones”. “Investigating further reveals an overall dire situation.”
“We enjoy pleasant weather, yet we lack a beach,” she expressed with disappointment.
Beginning at Playa de Martiánez, the protest will proceed through Colón Avenue, Plaza Reyes Católicos, Paseo San Telmo, Zamora, Santo Domingo, Plaza de Europa, and the Fishing dock.
The march will continue along Mequinez Street, Luis Lavaggi, Francisco Afonso Carrillo Avenue, Loro Park, and Garden Beach Avenue, culminating at the Punta Brava treatment plant.
Response from Institutions
In a plenary session of the Insular Corporation at the end of February, the Minister of Natural Environment for Cabildo de Tenerife denied that the governing group has made any decisions regarding a potential reopening of Playa Jardín this summer.
“From this council’s side, there are no plans to open the beach this summer. While we are working towards that, it has not been confirmed that the beach will be accessible during that period,” Pérez responded.
Simultaneously, at the beginning of the same month, the Ministry of Ecological Transition of the Canarian Government announced in a statement that the aim is to finalise the system for reusing purified water and diminishing sea discharges “in the first half of the year.”
This information follows a coordination meeting to assess the advancement of works involving representatives from the City Council, the Insular Council of Aguas de Tenerife—an entity of the Insular Cabildo of Tenerife—the General Directorate of Public Health, alongside technical personnel from Balten, Aqualia, and Ellitoral.
