The construction of the tourist development in Punta Colorada, the last virgin beach in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, is not possible due to a definitive suspension derived from an injunction. But, although this was granted last January to environmental defenders and residents, the governor of the state, Salomón Jara Cruz, insists that it can be carried out.
The project was presented a year ago by the state government and contemplates the development of seven lots for the construction of hotels, five commercial lots and 13 residential lots in 111 hectares of Punta Colorada.
Initially, Governor Salomón Jara argued that since it is state property, he would leave the decision to execute the project to popular consultation. However, despite the mobilizations against it in recent months and the injunction promoted by citizens, he has insisted that the tourist development in Punta Colorada is viable.
“As long as the suspension exists, the state government cannot build in Punta Colorada. We were very lucky that the issue and the government’s intentions were made known before they began to study the area,” explained Almendra Gomezleyva Melchor, coordinator of Salvemos Colorada, a group that heads the defense of the beach.
The main reason for the suspension is the ecological importance of Punta Colorada. It is a low deciduous forest where there are mangroves, ornamental plants, migratory birds, pollinating bats and several species at risk included in the NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010 for their protection, such as the crocodile and the leatherback turtle.
Added to this is the fact that the type of soil would not allow for a tourist development such as that proposed by the authorities.
“These are very porous lands, in fact, they are washing away, and a type of construction such as the one they propose is not viable. If you look at it from the risk analysis, it is an unstable area for construction. From the geological side, there are geological terraces with vestiges of the Pleistocene (which began 2.59 million years ago),” said the coordinator of Save Colorada.
The tropical climate and biodiversity of Puerto Escondido, bordering the waters of the Pacific, have led to an increase in tourism in recent years. The release of turtles, beaches for surfing, dolphin and whale watching, among other activities, attract more and more national and foreign tourists.
But with the flow of tourism, the abuses in infrastructure services grow and, consequently, their impact on the environment.
“The problem of wastewater has increased with the growth of Puerto Escondido. Because although there is a greater flow of tourism, the investment in infrastructure has not been equivalent. For example, the Colotepec area does not have drainage, so all the new constructions use septic tanks that the pipes go and discharge in Punta Colorada,” explained Gomezleyva Melchor.
The problem of wastewater pollution has a history dating back to 2006 when the wastewater treatment plant, known as PTAR Punta Colorada, began operations, discharging into the La Salinita lagoon, located in this same area.
The lack of sanitation led to a legal mobilization by environmental defenders. On May 16, 2022, the Sixth District Court in the State of Oaxaca admitted a claim for protection against wastewater discharges in Punta Colorada.
The result was a provisional suspension so that the corresponding authorities could avoid further discharges and address the pollution in the La Salinita lagoon. However, the problem continues to this day. Therefore, Salvemos Colorada requested an extension of the claim, from which they have been waiting for a response since January of last year.
“It makes no sense to us (Salvemos Colorada) that the government prefers to invest 2 billion pesos in the expansion of the airport (in Puerto Escondido) to bring more people rather than investing 600 million in infrastructure to receive and serve the flow of tourists in an adequate and optimal manner,” said Gomezleyva.
For its part, the government of Oaxaca has shared this year that, within the actions for sanitation and sewer infrastructure in Puerto Escondido, it would make an investment of 10.3 million for the rehabilitation of the wastewater treatment plants of Punta Colorada 1 and 2, in the municipality of San Pedro Mixtepec.
In addition, they reported another investment of 10.74 million pesos in the municipality to serve the Santa Fe wastewater treatment plant. Which adds up to a total budget of 21 million for infrastructure.
Despite the lack of action, Salvemos Colorada has meetings with authorities to promote environmental protection. One of these has been with the municipal government of San Pedro Mixtepec to work on an Urban and Territorial Development Plan that establishes Punta Colorada as a non-urbanizable area of environmental value.
As coordinator of Salvemos Colorada, Almendra Gómezleyva recognizes that the growth of Puerto Escondido “is inevitable,” which is why she considers better regulations necessary to avoid affecting the ecosystems.
“We cannot stop the flow of tourism, but we can organize ourselves. This implementation of the Urban Development Plans is quite important to have an order regarding the growth of Puerto Escondido and also to have the political will to enforce this plan,” she said.
Citizens, the surfing community and people dedicated to environmental defense have played an important role in facing the threats, however, they hope that the authorities will also contribute to protecting the environment.
Source: revistaespejo
