MANACOR
THE Minister for the Environment, Jaume Font, and the Mayor of Manacor, Antoni Pastor, yesterday visited the site where works are being carried out to extend the Sa Cabana torrente or water course. This initiative started in January this year and has a budget of 4.4 million euros. The project, which is estimated to finish in April 2006, is extending the section of the torrente, which crosses the outskirts of the town, between the water treatment plant and via Portugal. The project is also planning to lower the waterbed by 1 to 1.5 metres. In total all this work for the project will be carried out in three stages. The first, which has already started, takes place at the height of the town on the Palma-Manacor road. The second stage will begin in July and will affect Avenida Torrente and the area between the Plaza Ramon Llull roundabout and the supermarket corner. The last stage will take place at Rambla del Rei en Jaume. The Minister Font was accompanied by the Director General of Water Resources, Joan Crespí, the manager of the Balearic Water and Energy Institute (IBAEN), Miquel Costa and other official regional figures.

Sewerage plant

FELANITX
THE Ministry for the Environment in the Balearic Government has invested approximately 1.94 million euros to extend the water treatment plant in Felanitx. This means that the water treatment plant is now able to handle up to 2'500 cubic metres of water. The new improved plant was officially opened yesterday, after builders finished the necessary improvements that will benefit the needs of the residents. The waste plant was built in 1981 and had capacity to handle around 1'700 cubic metres a day, said a spokesperson from the Ministry. Thanks to the recent renovations, the water treatment system will be able to handle a larger quantity for smaller maintenance and operating costs, added the spokesperson. The reforms will also improve the quality of the flowing water and the treated water will be more adequate to be reused by the farming community. The new improvements have been carried out using simple but effective technology, which will be easy to use and maintain. The plant will only emit low noise levels and the reforms have improved the quality of the water.

Contamination

INCA
THE Inca town council will be taking part in a campaign that has been organised by the Ministry for the Environment destined to help reduce contamination caused by gas and smoke from vehicles. The council has come to an agreement with the Tecno Centro company, who will be installing a workshop in plaza del Bestiar on 1 and 2 April. At this workshop vehicle owners will be able to check the contamination levels of their vehicles free of charge. The aim is to check if Balearic residents are aware that their vehicles are emitting too much contaminating gases that make the greenhouse effect worse. This service will be available from 9am until 7pm and all those who take part will receive a small gift, and will also be entered into a raffle where they could win one of four weekend hotel breaks. This campaign will also be developed in other towns, such as Palma, Binissalem, Arenal, Sa Pobla, Llucmajor, Villafranca and Mahon during April and May.

Cultural centre

MARRATXI
THE Cultural Centre S'Escorxador in Marratxi will be exhibiting paintings under the name “Cinc i un punt” as from tomorrow. The centre will bring together paintings by five different artists; Maria Lluisa Aguilo, Francisca Segura, Gabriela Segui, Maria Horrach and Sole Sancho. The exhibition will be open to the public until the 16 April, only from Tuesdays to Saturdays, 6pm until 8pm.

Roundabout

POLLENSA
THE improvement works to the roundabout in Pollensa are damaging the torrente (water course) that is located in Las Palmeras, said the spokesperson of the Catalan Republic Left (ERC), Lluis Carci. “It has damaged an unnamed torrente in this area which drains a country estate in Siller. The works being carried out at the roundabout have covered over the water course and therefore water can not be drained. Now the residents in Siller and Las Palmeras are worried about what will happen when it rains. It is possible that soon cars will have to cross gushing water,” explained Carci. The spokesperson also criticised the town council for not bringing any solutions to this problem.