(ANSA) - ROME, AUGUST 10 - Spain's water supply dropped to 39.2% in a week, the lowest level since the severe drought of 1995, the year in which severe restrictions on consumption were imposed that led to the collapse of agriculture.
The greatest difficulties due to the lack of water are recorded in Galicia, Castile and León, Extremadura, Andalusia, Catalonia and Navarre.
The Pais reports it.
Six communities have already suffered supply cuts, and there are other areas on alert.
Heat, increased demand and expanding irrigation aggravate the shortage.
Meanwhile, ecologists have asked the Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge (Miteco) to "substantially" reduce irrigation, since the drought is due to "poor management and excessive water consumption" rather than a lack of rain.
The environmental organization Ecologists in Action deems it "unacceptable" that access to drinking water is made difficult for the population while "spending heavily on an economic activity largely dedicated to exporting", such as irrigation.
Although the Spanish water basins are 20 percentage points below the average of the last 10 years, environmentalists - writes the Efe - recall that "last spring it rained 12% more than the average".
(HANDLE).