It was a true “poisoned” Christmas gift that the population of Ervidel, in Aljustrel municipality, “Received” at the end of last year, When a superintensive olive, on a ground of 100 hectares, whose limit is fifty meters from the village.
If the plantation caused the population revolt, A few days later a strong rain dragged the land that had previously been the target of cultivation work, And the mud invaded streets and houses, causing various damage.
To give visibility to protests, The Ervidel Civic Movement in Action was created (MCEA), that has already taken several actions, the last of which last Sunday, next to the newly planted Olival, “To show the community's discontent in relation to the proximity of the same, and appeal to the competent entities, measures that defend the interest and health of the population ”, justified Manuel Nobre, The Mcea spokesman.
The initiative joined dozens of Ervidelenses, having been placed several signs on the rural path that separates housing and olive, But “this Monday morning they had already been torn, sign that the action has assigned effect and caught the attention of the owner of the plantation ”, justified Manuel Nobre.
“The population is in a state of“ Ria ”, revolted, uneasy and alarmed ”, mocked the moving spokesman, who justified that “with rooms of land aligned with the village and the dominant winds of the North, has everything to go wrong ”, summed up.
MCEA's spokesman recalled that the olive grove “is neither orographic plan higher than the village, over a waterline, to which the pesticides and phytopharmacies join, applied with air spraying and high pressure, which increases the risks for our health and quality of life and our children ”, finished.
The Master Plan (PDM) Aljustrel was only approved in January of this year and where it is expected that plantations have to be 250 Localities, but olive groves was planted scarce days before the end of 2024. “It seems that it was planted in a hurry to circumvent the law, because not even the watering system has assembled. To make the plantation, The farmer “did not have to give chip”To the municipality”, supported Manuel Nobre.
At a meeting held there 15 days, with members of the floor movement our, “Cases of people who abandoned their locations with health problems have been revealed. In a unpopulated alentejo, Let's get even poorer ”, concluded.
MCEA has already requested a meeting to the Alentejo Regional Coordination and Development Commission (Crcdria) and others will follow, namely to the Ministry of Agriculture and deputies of the Assembly of the Republic, in order to reverse the situation and that the 250 meters between olive groves and the village of Ervidel.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
