Sewage at home

EDITOR, People living in the Salgados golf area or those passing by will be familiar with the smell of sewage on and off throughout the entire year. Recently there has been extensive pipe and waterworks being carried out as people will have observed as they pass by Quinta da Saudade from Pera through Valle Parra on the EN526. But now the stink has become localised in a residential property as sewage streams unabated into my driveway and garden. For several days sewage has poured endlessly onto my private property and despite the fact that the local Fregusia has been notified and despite the efforts of the experts they have not been able to stem the flow. I was led to believe that there was a 24 hour hotline for such emergencies particularly as the event is an obvious health hazard but I guess this was pie in the sky. I pay About €1,500 in rates but wonder where the money is going. I also wonder who will pay to clean up my garden and driveway.

Meanwhile the sewage at the time of writing is still flowing onto my property.

Peter Chancellor, By email

Cataract Article

EDITOR, A few words of caution regarding the cataract article in 5 July edition of The Portugal News issue.

All is not as rosy as this article maintained!

I had cataract surgery in both eyes here in Faro. The resulting problems have made my quality of life worse than before!

My low light vision is now quite poor.

Small objects ‘disappear’ when looking at them directly ~ but can be seen in my peripheral vision.

I can no longer recognise people beyond 8-10 feet away.

I need a magnifying glass, in addition to reading glasses, to read invoices and small print.

And one of my greatest joys ~ reading ~ is now difficult and only possible for short spells.

These are just the main problems, I won’t bore you with the rest!

For this, I paid €4,000, but would gladly pay double that if I could turn the clock back!

I should add that my deeply regretted encounter was not with the Doctor mentioned in the article.

So, if contemplating this surgery, DO YOUR HOMEWORK and research the credentials and feedback of the eye surgeon you choose ~ something I seriously regret not doing!

I’m not alone, a friend’s mother had similar problems.

Ray Scott, FARO, By Email

Billboards in the Algarve

EDITOR, We wish to remove the existing unsightly, American-style, billboards erected along major highways in the Algarve. And to prevent new ones from being approved.

We are Canadians who have recently purchased a holiday home in the Algarve. On several occasions we have arrived in Lisbon and driven to our house. Highway A2 is one of the most beautiful highways that we have ever experienced. The views of the countryside - fields, forests, orchards, hillsides which constantly change with the seasons – are stunning!

But as you approach the intersection with the A22 in the Algarve, where the scenery becomes particularly dramatic, the billboards begin to proliferate.

And the A22 which spans the Algarve east/west has breathtaking vistas of rolling hills, charming villages, the sea, castles and ruins which are constantly marred by commercial billboards. And they must distract drivers.

Everyone that we have spoken to agree that these billboards are an unnecessary eyesore that should be discouraged.

It is not too late to undo the damage and to prevent further degradation of the Algarve’s stunning landscape.

Robin Hamilton Fyfe, By email

Re: Land Clearance and Wildfires

EDITOR, Further to the letter from your readers Laura and Harry Colley in 4 July edition of The Portugal News, they are quite correct in their dismay over the issue of poor land clearance and the dangers that can arise from it. There are steps that can be taken to report unaddressed flammable vegetation that should have been cleared. After the final date for clearance has past, which is now the case, the local Câmara Municipal has the right to clean up the vegetation on behalf of the owners, who will be obliged to provide access to their land and pay any expenses incurred. Where the landowner is not identified the cost will be born by the authority. For more detailed information please visit portugalchama.pt website, which is available in Portuguese and English and where all information about what needs to be cleared is displayed. There is also a phone line on that site for reporting uncleared land and an e-mail address for the GNR Ambiental brigade, so there are plenty of options open to people to report to the authorities. The fines for non-compliance are onerous, particularly for businesses.

If anyone sees such a hazard or has any doubt at all, they can also contact the local Proteção Civil via the Câmara or their local Bombeiros station, giving the exact location of the land and perhaps also providing photos of the problem so that they can determine how to deal with it.

I hope that this information is useful to your readers.

Michael R Reeve

Chief Executive Officer/Diretor Executivo

afpop - Portugal’s largest Foreign Residents’ Association