"This work has been necessary for six years. There was a landslide in the Pedras Amarelas area about six years ago. A more time-consuming intervention was planned. We found a contractor who is highly specialised in this area and who was able to offer us a much quicker and more economical solution. We expect the work to be completed in two to three weeks and at a fraction of the cost that was initially planned," Joaquim Poças Martins, a consultant for Águas de Gaia, explained to Lusa.

According to the same source, a contract worth €75,000 was signed, bringing forward the work planned in conjunction with the Portuguese Environment Agency (APA), with a budget of around €590,000, of which € 502,000 came from the EU Cohesion Fund.

"We will channel this money into other works. Specifically, we are considering rehabilitating the Santarém stream, which is experiencing issues. It runs underground beneath Conforama and flows into Afurada. It needs urgent intervention, and in this way we can maximise the use of public money, carry out the work in a more economical way and use the funds for a more expensive project," added Poças Martins.

The intervention that began today also allows the completion of the work at Lavadores Beach to be brought forward by ‘months’, so that it can be ready ‘in time for the bathing season’, in coordination with the APA for the use of the remaining funds.