“It is extremely urgent because, with the rains coming, we may have landslides and water contamination. With the rains, the water lines are hit, and we will have problems in water capture,” warned Agriculture and Sea Minister José Manuel Fernandes during a visit to various points affected by the fire that began on July 26 and was brought under control on August 3 in the Peneda-Gerês National Park (PNPG), located in the municipality of Ponte da Barca, district of Viana do Castelo.
Regarding Peneda-Gerês, the official mentioned that “two rivers – the Homem River and the Lima River – supply water for human consumption.”
“In Touvedo [Ponte da Barca], for example, the water serves more than 200,000 people. In the Homem River, the municipality of Vila Verde [Braga district] has a water capture point,” he stated.
The support “results from community warnings” and the anticipated payment is “100% for this work,” he added.
On Monday, the ICNF revealed to Lusa that the flames consumed 5,786 hectares of the PNPG, according to provisional data.
The PNPG was established in 1971, managed by the ICNF, and covers an area of 69,596 hectares, spanning the districts of Braga (municipality of Terras de Bouro), Viana do Castelo (municipalities of Melgaço, Arcos de Valdevez, and Ponte da Barca), and Vila Real (municipality of Montalegre).
