The Aragonese force in Catarroja will withdraw this Wednesday

The operation that the Government of Aragon deployed a month ago in Catarroja begins its withdrawal after 30 days of intense work that has allowed the public roads and the sewage network to be cleared and cleaned, thus facilitating the return to a certain normality in the streets. The de-escalation will conclude this Wednesday with the withdrawal of the Advanced Command Post, but Aragon will continue to send support resources to Catarroja on time in the coming weeks.

During the first few days, the Aragonese operation focused on rescue work and pumping out basements and garages, as well as removing vehicles, mud and belongings from the streets. It was the only one that worked in morning, afternoon and night shifts, which made it possible to speed up these first critical tasks.

Little by little, and once the streets were clear, the Aragonese force began to specialise in other functions such as removing vehicles from garages and cleaning and unblocking the sewage system, which is essential for later street sweeping.

The last few weeks have been dedicated to returning the streets to their original state. Also, during this month, the Aragonese health, psychosocial and police teams deployed have not only attended to the Aragonese operation, but have also collaborated in caring for the citizens of Catarroja, providing health care and security. There is still work to be done in homes, private garages and commercial premises in the normalisation and reconstruction phase that is now beginning.

The garages that are still covered in mud will be cleaned by specialised companies that have been contracted by the Valencian public administration and that will carry out the work with due planning and evaluation, given the environmental risks that are concentrated in these environments.

Aragon is thus the last Autonomous Community to withdraw its resources from Catarroja after Andalusia and Extremadura, the only Communities that, along with Aragon, remained in the area last week, withdrew their forces last Saturday. The work of Aragon has been valued by the inhabitants and by the City Council of Catarroja itself. The displays of affection and gratitude towards the members of the team have been repeated day in and day out.

A multitude of people from Catarroja have come to acknowledge the work carried out by the hundreds of Aragonese who have been working in shifts since the beginning of the emergency. In the coming weeks, the Government of Aragon will hold an event to pay tribute to all the people and operational groups who have been on the ground.

Firefighters, local police, health workers, psychologists, forestry brigades, Civil Protection personnel, volunteers, farmers, workers and public works machinery companies, logistics specialists… A large group of people who have given their all to gradually return normality to a population that has suffered the tragedy firsthand. In the meantime, life is slowly returning.