By Lorraine Della
BAHIA BELLA is a Community with a population of approximately 200 + houses belonging to the municipality of Cartagena located on the border between Los Alczarares and Cartagena. We have been residents and lived in Bahia Bella 14 years whilst many other property owners have lived on Bahia Bella 30+ years.
Our annual IBI payments are made directly to Cartagena. For this we have a few scattered rubbish bins which are collected regularly but we have no street lighting, no pavements, no mains sewerage, and our mains water comes from Los Alcazares.
Bahia Bella and its residents suffered severely with the flood of 13th September (as did Los Alcazares (Murcia) plus Los Urutius & Los Nietos. The difference is they are all now well on their way to recovery with assistance still being given, roads still being cleaned, being jet washed, swept and the mud being cleared away.
5 DAYS AFTER THE FLOOD we asked for help from Los Alcazares fire brigade to pump out several swimming pools to alleviate the scourge of mosquitos and flies living off the green stagnant water – they immediately came to our assistance and we say a big thankyou.
We then had the students from Murcia University who were tremendous in helping all and anyone who needed it. Clearing houses, water, mud, personal items, furniture etc. etc. without complaint and we of Bahia Bella say ‘Well Done and thankyou so very very much. You arrived and gave us hope when morale was exceptionally low.’
NOW TODAY, OVER 4 WEEKS AFTER THE FLOOD ON 13th SEPTEMBER We are still waiting for Cartagena to appear and clear the wet slimy mud, the piles of dried baked mud, the muddy pockets of water growing algae feeding the mosquito and flies etc. to make them safely passable etc. Nowhere is there any sign that Cartagena are interested in doing anything about it. We still have household rubbish strewn about various areas, the contents of 90% of the houses that were unfortunately completely flooded with a river of water and brown slimy mud containing sewage and debri from the fields and other surrounding Ramblas.
On 14 October we had rain and we immediately saw the consequences that if our roads are left uncleared/uncleaned, each time we have rain, no matter how little, the result will be the same IMPASSABLE MUD FLOODED ROADS AND PAVEMENTS
BAHIA BELLA appears to be forgotten, the inhabitants left existing in totally unacceptable conditions without any support. Rest assured we have not sat back waiting! – all that has been achieved so far in clearing up has not only been with the help of Murica University and Los Alcazares local fire brigade but especially by the residents themselves who worked tirelessly day after day hoping that eventually someone will acknowledge that we deserve the same respect and support as all other residents in Spain.
We desperately need help to recover our roads, pavements and the safety of street lighting etc.
Please can someone hear us, we want nothing more than what the Spanish Constitution guarantees for any resident of this country.
