THE LOOKOUT | There is an ecological corridor in Almonda to bring the population closer to the river

The mayor of Torres Novas, Pedro Ferreira (right) alerted children to the importance of their role in preserving the river

Almonda Ecological Corridor was officially opened on March 21st, although it is already a space widely used by the population for leisure activities and physical activity. The intervention cost around 450 thousand euros and involved the requalification of the space and treatment of the river.

The Almonda Ecological Corridor, which represented an investment of more than 448 thousand euros, was inaugurated on the afternoon of March 21st, next to the Moinho da Cova Dam, in Torres Novas. The path, located between the municipal market area and the entrance to the Beira Interior motorway (A23/IP6), aims to preserve and enhance the Almonda river, assuming it as a structuring corridor that allows the connection of various locations of the municipality. The project involved an application to the Portuguese Environment Agency which provided for the requalification of the space and treatment of the river.
The intervention to revitalize the space included cleaning the riverbed and banks, eradicating invasive plant species, re-profiling and stabilizing the banks, as well as requalifying the riparian gallery and surrounding vegetation to create a route associated with spaces for stay and observe nature.
The Mayor of Torres Novas, Pedro Ferreira, highlighted the importance of the intervention to improve the environment and quality of life of the population that has used the path that was previously “hidden”. “Today, the Almonda River is more available to us and, above all, in a clean and transparent way”, he stressed. During the inauguration, the president alerted the children, who stopped the walk to watch the ceremony, about the fundamental role of the new generations in protecting and preserving the river and its banks, remembering the times when the river was “mistreated”. He concluded by mentioning that thousands of inhabitants have already conveyed their satisfaction with the work carried out.
The councilor responsible for the environment, João Trindade, thanked the work of the team involved in the project that transformed the space. The councilor stated that they want to continue the work in the most degraded areas of the river, with the intention of moving in the direction of Riachos to develop, rehabilitate and renaturalize the surrounding space. The president of the municipal assembly, José Trincão Marques, began by mentioning that the work on the Almonda Ecological Corridor is one of the consensual measures in Torres Novas, which makes it possible to bring the population closer to the river, which is an ecological heritage site. “Only through knowledge and appreciation of natural heritage is it possible to effectively protect it,” he said.