The idea of Orihuela’s Councillor for Infrastructure, Angel Noguera, many of the drainage channels in the Aguamarina Park were recently blocked with stones and sandbags.
The purpose of the exercise was to stop the park topsoil washing away into the gutters every time it rains. This has been a problem in the park since it reopened, following partial refurbishment last year.
As rainwater channels opened up in the floods, the downpours took away with them large quantities of the topsoil, a covering of finely crushed sandstone, requiring the surfaces to be reinstated by council staff.
Amusingly, a post on the AVOCA Facebook page following the most recent episode of wet weather on Monday morning, paraphrased Woody Allen, with a quote that was not at all complimentary to Mr Noguera.
With the channels filled by sandbags the water had nowhere to drain, and as such, while the topsoil still drained away, the Aguamarina walkway was flooded under 9 inches of water.
The Facebook post ended with the following plea from the AVOCA Association, “Ángel Manuel Noguera García, please, pay attention to those who understand, leave the openings for drainage of the wall as they were and carry out the small work of channelling the rainwater necessary to solve this problem.”
The “Angel” of disaster!