Building abuses near waterways which cause extreme events such as floods. Starting from this premise, numerous checks have recently been carried out by the forestry police of the Arezzo unit in terms of compliance with the rules against illegal construction in hydrogeologically “fragile” areas. The last one concerns the area of Rio Rigutinoin the hamlet of the same name on the outskirts of Arezzo, where the presence of various works “carried out in the absence of authorizations and concessions” was found.
32 complaints in 16 months
From the beginning of 2023 to today, 32 people have been reported, for a total of 22 criminal irregularities for violation of the ban on building in the hydraulic buffer zones and for the construction of works without a building permit. “The province of Arezzo is often the victim of dramatic events often related to adverse meteorological phenomena which highlight the particular fragile condition of the territory. Added to the already complex situation are the chain of impactful climatic events, on the one hand, and illegal construction, on the other, which contribute to accentuating the historic conditions of vulnerability of our territory”, explain the forestry officers.
Illegal construction along the Maestro della Chiana canal
In particular, they underline from the center of Arezzo, the river channels of the Canale Maestro della Chiana network “over the years have been the subject of abusive works which have actually decreased their capacity to contain a flow of water linked to important meteorological events”. The forestry police have in fact found that in 80-90 years “illegal works have been carried out which have considerably reduced the width of the waterways: reinforced concrete walls which have become embankments, extensions of homes and their appurtenances, fences, banks , sheds. And water inefficiency is revealed with its disasters.”
Floods and other extreme events
The forestry police themselves provide some examples. “The dramatic floods, the gusts of over 100 kilometers per hour of wind and rain that mainly affected Arezzo, Valdichiana and some areas of Casentino on the night between 2 and 3 November 2023; lightning and storms that affected Valdarno and Valtiberina in particular with hail the size of a peach in August 2022. Finally, in addition to those who pay for the emotional and also economic effects, there are those who, unfortunately, have paid the consequences more serious. With the flood of 27 July 2019 the entire province of Arezzo succumbed to the meteorological event which caused flooding of various streams such as the Rii Grosso, Rigutino, Gavardello, Policiano, dei Pigli, Riolo, Vallesi, di Montagnano. The wave of water generated real rivers in flood in the roadway and, in Arezzo, a 72 year old man was overwhelmed with his car by the impetuous mass of water which gave him no escape”.
Intensified controls and the Rigutino case
And it is in this context that controls have been intensified. “The forestry carabinieri are present on the front line to prevent and, if they do not arrive in time, to repress landscape, urban planning and construction violations that undermine hydraulic safety. From this point of view, the control activity of the watercourses was intense and, in particular, in the Rio Rigutino the presence of numerous artefacts of various kinds, created in the absence of authorizations and concessions, was found”.
