Avocado orchard owners loot water from Lake Patzcuaro, governor accuses – MonitorExpresso.com

Morelia, Michoacán.- After several complaints, the government of Michoacán finally verified the illegal looting of water from Lake Patzcuaro. This was reported by the head of the Executive, Alfredo Ramírez Bedolla, who pointed to the owners of avocado orchards as the main responsible, since the water is not only extracted with pipes, as had been denounced, but in buckets, containers, to fill their agricultural pots, which are also illegal. He added that some points where this phenomenon occurs have been located, in addition to already knowing the modus operandi, so the corresponding complaints will be filed with the Attorney General’s Office to proceed with the determined sanctions. In this context, the Secretary of Government, Elías Ibarra Torres, announced that next Wednesday an International Committee in Defense of Water will be installed, to prevent the theft in Lake Pátzcuaro, in which the Secretariat of Public Security of Michoacán, the National Water Commission, the municipalities involved, the State Water Commission and Watershed Management will participate; State Fisheries Commission and the Ministry of the Environment, as well as residents of Tzintzuntzan, Erongarícuaro, Pátzcuaro, Quiroga, as well as the native communities of the area. He said that there are 86 inter-institutional security elements and the operation will be maintained during the dry season, March, April and May, mainly in points such as Janitzio, Muelle de Uranden, Puácuaro, Oponguio, San Jerónimo Purenchécuaro, Chupicuaro.

Original source in Spanish