Catamarca mining activities face water contamination allegations

Socio-environmental assemblies, agricultural producers, and indigenous communities in Catamarca, Argentina, have denounced water contamination and depletion caused by mining activities. Residents in Antofagasta de la Sierra, Belén, and Andalgalá report the deterioration of streams and the salinization of underground aquifers in the Puna region.

Protesters claim that lithium and copper extraction projects consume millions of liters of fresh water daily in extremely arid zones, drastically reducing flows available for human consumption and irrigation. Independent monitoring has reportedly identified chemical residues in mountain rivers adjacent to mining sites.

Local collectives are demanding the immediate suspension of extraction permits in fragile basins, citing a lack of public state testing to guarantee water potability. Critics have also directed accusations toward the Ministry of Water, Energy, and Environment and the Mining Secretariat, alleging that Governor Raúl Jalil’s administration has relaxed oversight of transnational companies to accelerate production.