The cabinet he decided national state of emergency for the drought in Sicily, as requested in recent days by the regional council, for a duration of 12 monthsallocating i first 20 million euros, with the possibility of increasing resources in a short time already during the implementation of the first interventions. The President of the Region also participated in the Palazzo Chigi meeting.
The Sicilian government has already sent a Rome all the necessary documentation, drawing up a list of the interventions necessary to reduce the effects of the crisis due to the lack of rain. The solutions proposed by the control room, led by the governor and coordinated by the head of the regional civil protection, are differentiated based on the implementation times.
The fastest and most long-term proposals
Among those quickly implemented, the purchase of new ones tankers in municipalities in crisis and the arrangement of other vehicles in around a hundred local authorities; about 130 interventions between regeneration of existing wells, drilling of twin wells and reactivation of abandoned ones, in addition to revamping of about thirty springs; the strengthening of the systems pumping and of conducted; the construction of new interconnection pipelines e bypass.
For the next few months, however, we are evaluating the restructuring and restarting of the desalination plants of Porto Empedocle, in the Agrigento area, and of Trapanioperations that will require longer times and tender procedures, as there are no substantial exceptions in environmental matters and procurement above the community threshold.
At the same time, the regional Civil Protection department was established nine technical tables in the Civil Engineering offices of the capitals of each province, with representatives of the Water Department, the Reclamation Consortia, and the Basin Authority. The tables identified and selected the interventions according to priority and will then proceed to monitor the implementation phases. Furthermore, several meetings have already been held with Siciliaque, Aica Agrigento, Caltaque And Enna waters.
Water emergency, Schifani: “Thanks to the national government for the sensitivity shown”
“I thank the government for the sensitivity shown and Minister Musumeci for the allocation of the first 20 million euros and for the commitment to implement the resources quickly in the wake of a close collaborative relationship between the Region and the national government”. The governor of Sicily declares it Renato Schifani at the end of the Council of Ministers which approved the national state of emergency due to the water crisis on the island.
