A fire ravaged the courtyard of the Charpentier public works company on Monday morning. According to firefighters, several construction machines were destroyed by the flames. An organization opposed to “basins” claimed responsibility for the act in an email sent to AFP.
Alerted shortly before 4 a.m., the Vendée firefighters intervened on the site of the public works company Charpentier to control a fire. The damage is significant: at least eight heavy goods vehicles and construction engines were affected. The gendarmes, accompanied by specialists in criminal identification, opened an investigation to determine the exact origin of the disaster, although no official comment has been made on this subject.
Arson claimed
In an e-mail addressed to AFP, a group presenting itself under the name “Stop Mégabassines” claimed responsibility for this fire. According to their message, the action specifically targeted the machines of the public works subsidiary of the Charpentier group, accused of participating in the construction of these water reserves in several departmentsincluding Vendée, Charente-Maritime and Deux-Sèvres.
The collective describes this act as an operation of “ disarmament » aimed at stopping construction sites in progress and sending a warning: “ Any actor who will be associated with future Méga-Bassines projects (…) will suffer the consequences ».
The “basins”, or replacement reserves, are designed to store water taken from groundwater in winter to meet summer irrigation needs. Supported by farmers and the authorities as a response to recurring droughts, they arouse strong opposition. Critics denounce a “ hoarding » water for the benefit of agro-industry, to the detriment of the environment and small farmers.
This subject took a particularly divisive turn after the violent clashes that occurred in March 2023 during a demonstration in Sainte-Soline, in Deux-Sèvres.
To date, the La Roche-sur-Yon public prosecutor's office had not yet been informed of the demand by “Stop Mégabassines”. The investigation will have to establish whether the fire is indeed linked to this organization and whether other similar acts are to be feared in the region.
Marie Gerald (with AFP)
Photo of one: Adobe Stock
