The mark of the latest torrential rains in Lanzarote that affected some areas of the island on April 12 is still present in the municipalities of Teguise and Arrecife. Eleven days later, the streets of the capital, Costa Teguise and some of Tahíche, Nazaret and Teseguite are still affected by the dust given off by the dry mud and, in many cases, the feces expelled by the sewers in the case of Arrecife. Likewise, some of the hotels in Costa Teguise have been forced to close temporarily due to damage to their facilities, which has led to their workers being placed on ERTE or ETOP.
In addition, the mouth of some ravines into the sea, such as the Hurón ravine on Las Cucharas Beach, has meant that almost two weeks later the water is still brown due to the earth, sediments and other waste dragged by the ravine.
The cleaning services of both municipalities are working to guarantee the cleanliness of the streets after being seriously affected. According to Eugenio Robayna, Councilor for Roads and Works of the Teguise City Council, on the Buenos días, Lanzarote program of Radio Lanzarote-Onda Cero this past Monday, he conveyed to the Cabildo of Lanzarote the idea of "making an investment of three million euros to clean up the Hurón ravine and create nateros to store the water."
In this sense, the councilor has stressed that he hopes that "this type of disaster will serve to try to take effective measures for the future", recalling that "in Tahíche and Costa Teguise there are many filtering wells that require urgent cleaning".
Regarding the dry earth that is still on the sidewalks and streets of Costa Teguise, Robayna pointed out that "we have to wait for it to dry completely because if it is done while it is wet, it complicates cleaning for the sweepers".
In addition, the heavy rains also affected the electricity supply in several areas, such as in a part of Avenida de las Palmeras. "Since there is a bit of humidity, the differentials trip, but the external company hired to repair these problems is already working on it and will continue working throughout this week," explained the councilor.
Cleaning in Arrecife
For its part, the Arrecife City Council has assured this Tuesday that "half a hundred operators work daily on the streets of the capital with the aim of restoring normality as soon as possible. This human effort is joined by a reinforced technical deployment that includes self-propelled sweepers, flushing tankers, hydro-cleaners, transport vans, all-terrain vehicles, backhoe loaders, dump trucks, tractors and even specialized machinery for cleaning beaches".
In addition to the usual staff of the daily cleaning services, a specific team has been allocated, consisting of a backhoe loader and three laborers dedicated exclusively to removing accumulated earth, as well as a flushing tank for the intensive washing of the most affected roads.
Affected hotels
The heavy rains also flooded several hotels in Costa Teguise, which has led them to take exceptional measures with their workers while trying to return to normal. "The Hotel Meliá is going to carry out a temporary employment regulation file (ERTE) due to force majeure covered by the catastrophe and it is expected to last between six and seven weeks, but not all people are going to be attached since some workers will move to the other hotel in the chain, the Sol Lanzarote", Alejandro Domínguez, secretary of the Workers' Commissions of Lanzarote, explained to La Voz.
On the other hand, the Hotel HD will carry out an ETOP, an employment reduction file but in this case it will be for works, according to Domínguez. In this sense, the hotel will take advantage of this situation to carry out improvements in the hotel plant and it is expected to last about four months. In addition, the workers have been proposed to go to work in Playa Blanca.
Regarding the Trébol Apartments, it will also be covered by an ERTE between six and seven weeks. At the moment there are more affected establishments that are assessing the damage but it seems that they will not adhere to this measure such as the Sands Beach, which has 21 flooded rooms but will still continue with its work activity, as will the Santa Rosa and the Vitalclass, which are gradually returning to normal", declared the secretary of CCOO.
Complaints from Costa Teguise residents
Despite the cleaning work being carried out by the workers, there are readers who have sent their complaints to La Voz, describing the image of Costa Teguise after the rains as "lamentable".
"There is a total abandonment by the cleaning service, from Wednesday of last week until this Tuesday, the parking lot of the Las Cucharas Shopping Center is totally neglected in terms of cleaning because there are many cables on the ground, layers of mud of centimeters and no one comes to solve it", a citizen has denounced.
Another reader has also criticized the dirt that is still found at the entrance of the Titerrory Health Center. "The sick breathing dust and earth mixed with fecal remains. Even my family doctor told me that they had to keep the windows closed because of how bad it can be to breathe that dust", the neighbor tells the editors of La Voz.
The presence of earth on the streets can cause respiratory problems, to which is added the presence of the strong wind that is blowing in Lanzarote these days. This causes the dust to spread through the air and can affect the respiratory tract and eyes.
