Province assigns €4M to l'Horta prevention

Valencia’s provincial government has carved out nearly €4 million for municipalities in l’Horta Nord and l’Horta Sud as part of a wider €20 million disaster-prevention package approved this month. The funding is aimed at 40 municipalities in the two comarcas and covers both investment and current spending tied to emergency readiness, according to local reports on May 22. The measures include pumps, hydrants, generators, evacuation routes, alert systems, ravine cleaning and upgrades to drainage or hydraulic networks. The push follows the October 2024 DANA that hit parts of the province, including towns in l’Horta Sud such as Catarroja. ### How much of the province-wide package is going to l’Horta? The €20 million provincial plan was approved in the May government board meeting of the Diputació de València and applies to 261 municipalities and smaller local entities across the province. Within that package, l’Horta Nord and l’Horta Sud are set to receive just under €4 million combined, according to the breakdown published on May 22. (levante-emv.com) The local allocation is divided between €1,933,056 for l’Horta Nord and €2,025,506 for l’Horta Sud. Reports said 22 municipalities in l’Horta Nord and 18 in l’Horta Sud are included. ### Which towns and projects are covered? L’Horta Nord municipalities are expected to use the money for a mix of planning, equipment and preventive maintenance. (eldebate.com) The published list of eligible uses includes reviewing or drafting prevention plans, improving urban drainage, cleaning roads and paths in advance, and buying heavy vehicles or tractors for emergency response. (elperiodicodeaqui.com) L’Horta Sud municipalities are concentrating more heavily on structural works and protection of sensitive infrastructure, according to the same breakdown. The reported shopping list includes alert systems and generator sets, alongside hydraulic and drainage-related interventions that local authorities say are tied to flood readiness. Catarroja is among the municipalities highlighted in coverage of the package’s target area after the DANA. (elperiodicodeaqui.com) ### What exactly can municipalities buy or build with the money? Published descriptions of the program say municipalities can fund pumps for water removal, hydrants, generators, evacuation routes and warning systems. The same reports say the grants can also support ravine cleaning and upgrades to drainage or hydraulic networks, depending on local needs. (elperiodicodeaqui.com) Vicent Mompó, president of the Diputació de València, said the mechanism is modeled on the Municipal Cooperation Fund, a formula he described as useful for speeding paperwork and letting towns choose the destination of the aid according to their needs. That structure allows the grants to be used either for capital works or for current spending linked to emergency preparation. (levante-emv.com) ### Why is the funding being advanced so quickly? The province plans to pay 85% of each grant upfront, according to reports published on May 22. The stated purpose is to avoid delays and let municipalities move quickly on urgent purchases and works. (eldebate.com) That advance payment is meant to accelerate items such as dewatering pumps, hydrants, safer evacuation routes, machinery purchases and alert-system installation. In l’Horta Sud, where several municipalities were affected by the October 2024 storm, the emphasis in current reporting is on getting practical measures in place before another severe weather event. (elperiodicodeaqui.com) ### How does this fit into the post-DANA response? The October 2024 DANA is the event repeatedly cited in coverage of the provincial package as the reference point for the new aid line. The grants are framed not as reconstruction money for what was already damaged, but as prevention funding for future emergencies including floods, fires and power cuts. (elperiodicodeaqui.com) The next step is municipal execution. The Diputació’s 85% advance is intended to let town halls begin procurement and works immediately, with l’Horta Nord and l’Horta Sud municipalities now moving from allocation to purchases, local plans and site-specific interventions. (elperiodicodeaqui.com)