Itoiz Dam is filled
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Right to Water (right-to-water
iatp.org
Posted: 05/13/2003 By vivalasgmx.de
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***A message from Solidarios con Itoiz***
Update: Itoiz Dam
is being filled and the landslides have begun. On
January 27th, the Navarran and Spanish
governments close the floodgate of Itoitz dam and so
the dam slowly starts filling up.This takes place
without the application of the Emergency Plan which
should have been in place. The "Coordinadora" against
Itoitz denounces the Government in
court. The melting of snow and heavy
rains provoke a sudden rise of the dam's level,
reaching a height above 510 (which is past the filling
level allowed ). The drains, very small for the amount
of water to be emptied, get partially blocked with tree
trunks and so the water rises and rises without
control. In Itoitz village the water
practically reaches the houses and inhabitants and
cattle have to be temporarily moved out. The water cuts
the village off by flooding the access roads. The
village remains isolated for three
days. The first landslides can be seen
in several areas around the dam's base and bordering
zones, but are quickly removed by the dam's workers.
The risks of a catastrophe, as predicted by experts,
are confirmed. VOLUNTARY CONFINEMENT AND PROTEST
DEMONSTRATION IN AGOITZ. Agoitz is a
town of 3.000 inhabitants located downstream the dam.
It would be the first affected in the case of a
catastrophe. Having observed the total lack of control
of the dam when the filling tests began, the "Assembly
of citizens affected by Itoitz dam" take part in a two
week voluntary confinement in Agoitz's town hall, as a
way to demand a new and independent geological study of
the safety of the dam. This protest
confinement ends on February 16th with a demonstration
round the streets of Agoitz of about 3.000
people. NOTIFICATION OF STRASBOURG HIGH
COURT. While people are voluntarily
confined, it is known that the Strasbourg European
Tribunal of Human Rights has decided to proceed with a
complaint made by the "Coordinadora" against
Itoitz. The complaint denounced the
changing of the laws protecting Natural Reservations
which the Navarran Government to effectively legalise
the building of a dam inside a Natural
Reservation. Even though Strasbourg
Tribunal's decisions entail all members of the EU.,
Navarra's Government warned they would not obey and
respect their decision if it opposed the use of this
dam. "SOLIDARIOS WITH ITOITZS PROTEST ACTION AGAINST
THE FILLING OF THE DAM. On March
20th, the day the imperialist invasion of Irak started,
4 members of our group, equiped with a power boat, get
into the dam as far as the dam's wall. While two of
them climb up the drain pipes the other two display a
huge placard on the dam's wall, reading "Itoitz stop"
and afterwards sail round the dam showing placards
against the filling, against war in Irak and in favour
of our partner Iñaki Garcia Koch, still imprisoned.
They finally disembark on a small island in the middle
of the dam where they chain themselves. All four were
later arrested by the Civil Guard and released
afterwards. IÑAKI GARCIA KOCH'S
SITUATION. Our comrade Iñaki is
about to serve two years in Iruñea's prison. He has
lately used several 4 to 6day-permits to leave prison
and is expecting to be granted the third penitentiary
grade (which would allow him to work outside the prison
during the day and enjoy weekend permits). If you want
to send him solidarity messages you can write to him to
this address: Iñaki
Garcia Koch Carcel de Iruñea C/San Roque s/n
Iruñea 31004 Euskal Herria
"SOLIDARIES WITH ITOITZ"
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