The government of Aragon This Friday has activated its administrative machinery to request the central executive for the declaration of zone seriously affected by an emergency of civil protection (commonly known as the catastrophic zone) for the municipalities affected by the heavy rains of July 11 and 12. They are, among others, Tarazona, Grisén, Figueruelas or Pedrosa and all this has been agreed by the Governing Council, which has held an extraordinary session in the Pignatelli building and has approved a decree law with urgent measures to alleviate the effects of rainfall last weekend.
The objective is none other than the central government to take this request to the Council of Ministers next Tuesday to be able to advance the deadlines. “I hope and I wish to be approved next Tuesday,” said the Minister of Finance in Aragon, Roberto Bermúdez de Castro.
Damages were recorded in infrastructure, homes, agricultural farms and industrial activities in several municipalities. The measurement package, similar to that approved three weeks ago after torrential rains in Campo de Belchite, includes direct subsidies to individuals, compensation for farmers and livestock, aid to the commercial and tourist sector, as well as performances to repair municipal infrastructures, irrigation networks, environmental environments or the integral water cycle. Ibi bonuses also contemplates in 2025 for affected rustic homes and farms.
150,000 euros per town hall
As an immediate measure, the regional executive will allocate up to 150,000 euros to each of the municipalities affected to cover the expenses for emergency works to be developed in basic services and infrastructure.
In addition, the Decree Law enables the urgent processing of subsidies and contracts, and provides for the signing of agreements with other administrations and financial entities to promote recovery. The objective, according to the counselor, is to guarantee “agile and effective” management, coordinated with the municipalities. Bermúdez de Castro has explained that the typology of the decree is “exactly equal to that approved twenty days ago for the Dana that affected localities such as Azuara”, although in this case the damage is “infinitely lower.”
“In Tarazona, for example, we estimate that the aid will go to a couple of millions,” he said. Unlike other episodes, no relevant damage has been detected in the regional road network, so the decree does not contemplate aid in the promotion area. In the previous flood, only in this area were between six and seven million to the bridges of Azuara and Belchite.
A legal framework in which to protect yourself
At the same time, and given the increase of this type of weather events in recent times, the DGA already works in a structural solution. As announced by Bermúdez de Castro, in September an “umbrella decree” will be approved that will serve as an automatic action framework in case of future natural catastrophes, expediting procedures and shortening response deadlines.
Regarding the aid for the previous Dana, the counselor has estimated at 2.87 million the requests presented to date. “Only Alonacid exceeds 800,000 euros and Villar de los Navarros, the 700,000. Now it is time to check if they meet the requirements to pay half, since the remaining 50% will be provided by the State,” he said.
