We no longer present megabasins, these reserves of several thousand or even millions of cubic meters of water pumped from groundwater or rivers and intended for agricultural irrigation in the summer period. This is one of the virtues of the Sainte-Soline manifestation. This resistance movement of March 25, marked by violent clashes with the police, gave these water reservoirs a prominent place in the public debate.
A year later, the organizations (Peasant Confederation, Uprisings of the Earth, Bassines Non Merci, the CGT, Solidaires, etc.) even noted that the movement had grown, even though the government tried, according to them, to “ criminalize” their actions.
” Dissolution [des Soulèvements de la terre] did not succeed and instead of dividing us it strengthened and united us”, declares Florian, Earth uprising. He cites as proof the hundred local committees that were formed in the wake of Sainte-Soline: “it is undeniable, the entire system that was put in place by the government did not have the desired effect. It gave us visibility, it also generated sympathy and unity. »
“We have learned the lessons of Sainte-Soline”
As for the unions associated with the movement, the CGT believes that Sainte-Soline has helped improve understanding of issues surrounding water grabbing. “This popular education inevitably brings arms into the battle,” points out David.
The fact remains that many demonstrators were injured a year ago and among them, two men came close to death and are still recovering from their injuries today. “We have learned the lessons of Sainte-Soline, we know today that we are dealing with a government which is ready to kill for a crater, which act,” assures Julien Le Guet, one of the spokespersons for the collective Basins no thank you. We will take this aspect into consideration. »
Without giving further details, he also hopes that the legal procedures initiated, such as those before the Bordeaux administrative court for an appeal against the 16 basin project, will be concluded before the summer. Until then, between May 7 and 11, actions are planned in Puy-de-Dôme where giga basins, containing millions of m3 of water, are scheduled.
But the energies of the anti-basins will be especially concentrated from July 15 to 21, in Poitou. There, there are around thirty projects in the Clain basin and for some, construction starts have been announced, “even though the consultation process is not finished”, underlines Johanne, member of Basins no thank you. “The summer in France is going to be hot, the government will have important decisions to make between now and then,” believes Julien Le Guet.
“The State continues to want to force itself”
The standoff is far from won: “agro-industry and the State continue to want to force their way through,” believes Johanne. It takes as an example the construction projects, in Berry, of basins of less than 100,000 m3 in order to circumvent environmental impact studies, which are obligatory beyond this volume.
If there is one point of agreement with the government it is of course the fact that “there is no agriculture without water”, points out Laurence Marandola, national spokesperson for the Confédération Paysanne. She recalls that the anti-basins are demanding an end to the construction sites, with a moratorium to deal with the subject democratically, in the light of the latest scientific knowledge.