”They have no right to take our water“, exclaims Lucie, from the height of her 11 years. It is far from being her first anti-basin demonstration, with her parents. They are 400 to have met in front of the Prefecture of Vienne, Saturday October 22. A peaceful gathering wanted by several associations for the defense of the environment (ASPECT, the League for the Protection of Birds, Vienne Nature …) but also left-wing elected officials, and collectives (Extinction Rébellion and Bassines non merci).
Poor water management, imbalance in the agricultural sector
What they denounce is above all poor water management. “These mega-basins will create the imbalance of an entire sector__. This water storage will only benefit 62 out of 2300 farmers in Vienne“, notes Ambroise Puaud from Bassines non merci 86, which amplifies intensive agriculture.
© Radio France
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Sarah D’Hers
The prefect submitted to the elected officials the second memorandum of understanding on the thirty basins of Clain, Grand-Poitiers opposed it, like Vienne Nature. If it is voted, the substitution reserves will be able to see the light of day. “Every citizen who pays his water bill finances them“, denounces Fabienne, a left-wing activist, “since 70% of the cost of the basins is financed by this water agency”.
© Radio France
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Sarah D’Hers
A civic and “more just” solution
The associations present and the left-wing parties propose to draw up a territorial water management project, in which each citizen can participate. This second version of the protocol on the substitution reserves in the Clain basin is, according to them, dangerous because, between them, the capacity of the aquifers is insufficient with regard to the needs and supports an agro-industrial model. They ask for more balance, and sharing of the resource, and for this, call on the inhabitants of Vienne to participate in the project. An information day will be organized on 11 December.
Before that, next weekend it is in Sainte-Soline in Deux-Sèvres that the anti-basins will mobilize.