Tempers flare as France sizzles in drought

With 75% of aquifer levels below average, swimming pool bans loom and police face violent clashes over new reservoirs

There were wildfires across France last year, while the Agly river near Perpignan, right, has dried out
There were wildfires across France last year, while the Agly river near Perpignan, right, has dried out
Adam Sage
, Elne
The Times

Tempers were flaring in Elne town hall in the foothills of the Pyrenees in southern France.

“I’ve just been told I can’t water my land,” a middle-aged man in jeans and a green jacket barked at the receptionist. “And I can’t even clean my terrace. It’s unbelievable, idiotic.” In the face of his tirade, the receptionist explained that she was not to blame for the historic drought that has hit the Pyrénées-Orientales this spring or for the measures imposed by the interior ministry amid fears that taps could run dry by the end of the summer.

“Here,” she said, handing him a sheet of paper listing the activities now banned in the area, which include using whirlpool baths, watering gardens, cleaning cars and taking a