The Rhineland-Palatinate state government discussed further reconstruction after the flood disaster with around 30 mayors of municipalities in the Ahr Valley on Wednesday. “A lot has been achieved this year,” said Prime Minister Malu Dreyer (SPD) in the municipality of Dümpelfeld (Ahrweiler district). But “we have a large portion ahead of us that still needs to be overcome”.
The federal government’s decision to extend the application period for funding for reconstruction measures by three years caused a great sigh of relief in the valley, said Dreyer. There is now enough time to move forward with the reconstruction. The state government also informed the mayors and the district administrator Cornelia Weigand that the financing for the particularly forward-looking construction of local heating networks is now guaranteed. The state government has decided to take over the remaining gap in addition to the funding from the federal government and the EU and to use funds from the new municipal investment program for climate protection.
After the talks between the state and local authorities, Dreyer and Interior Minister Michael Ebling (SPD) handed over approval notices to support development measures totaling 19 million euros. Among other things, this involves the restoration of roads or street lighting as well as the construction of temporary foot and cycle bridges. In turn, District Administrator Cornelia Weigand (independent) and the mayors accepted their decisions. The mayor of the city of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Guido Orthen (CDU), commented on the handover of an approval notice for 585,000 euros to restore a road in debt with the words: “Thank you, it can go on like this!”
Dreyer and Ebling then wanted to take a look at the current situation in the winegrowing village of Altenahr and in the spa town of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler (2:15 p.m.) and talk to flood victims. During the flash flood on 14/15. July 2021 at least 134 people lost their lives in the Ahr Valley. The traces of the devastation are still visible today.
