Work has begun to on the La Laguna – Las Norias road across the lava flow field to install streetlights, allowing the road to be open 24 hours a day. Previously the road, which sees 5,500 crossings per day, was only open from 6am-10pm, which prevented the ability of some people to work or return to their homes if their work was on the other side of the lava flows, according to president of the Las Manchas Resident’s Association Jenny Sanchez. She is also fighting for a new road across the lava flows along the route of the old LP-2, which would provide a much quicker link for those towards the east of the affected areas on both sides of the lava flows.

In terms of reconstruction, the biggest debate remains whether it should be practical or allowed to further expropriate the land covered by the lava flows. This question should be answered in the full plan for the reconstruction of the island, although has not yet been drafted and it could be the end of the year before it is presented. Meanwhile, the city council of Los Llanos have already received more than 20 requests to build on the lava flows.

Concerning housing, those affected have been granted permission to apply to build homes on specially protected land, which improves the options for those affected wanting to re-build. However, others are concerned that, as has been argued with other elements of the reconstruction, that the ‘emergency’ declaration of these decrees means they can ignore environmental regulations which could harm the island in the long term.

The neighbours’ associations of affected people have announced that there will be ongoing protests on the 19^th of every month on La Palma, highlighting injustices in the reconstruction process. One of the biggest fights currently is to ensure those whose houses were buried beneath the lava flows are compensated for the value of the land before the eruption, when current government plans are to value the land based on its current value, which will be much lower.

Monitoring of the cooling of the cone and lava flows, gas levels, and many more parameters continue. Although the lava flows and cone continue to cool, temperatures of >800°C are still being recorded in the cone just a few metres below the surface in places, and in the extensive fumarole fields that are present on the cone. Furthermore, as the cone cools and contracts, more landslides and larger cracks are developing within it. These trends are normal and are expected to continue for many years at least. Elsewhere, geophysical research lead by INVOLCAN and other institutions has imaged the “sleeping” subsurface magma reservoir that fed the eruption for the first time, which could be millions of years old. More information can be found here: www.tinyurl.com/3yn3zrz3.

Finally, La Bombilla and Puerto Naos remain evacuated due to high CO₂ concentrations, and a local man was arrested after bypassing the security perimeter to stay in his house overnight. The latest access updates allow people to access their homes daily for maintenance and cleaning, when accompanied by security personnel with gas monitors, provided the gas concentrations are safe. The Cabildo has also announced that 160 homes have been planned to be built specifically for those evicted from La Bombilla and Puerto Naos, although the land for these plans has not yet been procured and an estimated date of completion has not been given.

Sources: La Palma Ahora, Cabildo de La Palma, El Time, ABC España