The area of Phlegraean Fields is subject these days to an earthquake swarm due to the bradyseism phenomenon. To address this threat, the Meloni government approved in 2023 a emergency dispatch planoutlined in Legislative Decree 140. This plan includes three seismic risk scenarios, with the third scenario, the most serious, which includes a evacuation plan for the local population. The term “expedient” indicates that the plan adapts quickly to evolving seismic events, as distinct from planning for a possible volcanic eruption.
The recent earthquake swarm started on May 20, 2024 it was not officially classified, but unofficially it falls between the first and second risk scenarios. Despite this, several buildings in Pozzuoli have been declared unusable, causing the displacement of numerous families, temporarily hosted in the local sports hall. The authorities are negotiating with hotels to host the displaced in the following days. The evacuation plan for the third scenario does not include twinning with other regions, as in the case of a possible eruption, but it is based on regional reception. The displaced people would be hosted in local facilities, such as gyms and affiliated hotels, thanks to an agreement between the Campania Region and Federalberghi.
The blocked works
Aside from the welcome, to complicate things there are the infrastructure projects necessary to ensure safe escape routes, which remained incomplete. The three ramps for the via Campana ring road, essential for evacuating Pozzuoli, should have been completed three years ago, but the works were abandoned by the dealer Copin. This situation led the mayor of Pozzuoli, Luigi Manzoni, to take legal action and initiate new procedures for the completion of the works. Alternative roads it is still hampered by numerous construction sites. The new Cumana station in via Fasano and the aqueduct and Enel works slow down traffic.
The municipality of Pozzuoli is working to improve escape routes, with projects to expand the Pertini seafront and the redevelopment of strategic areas. Despite this, the Emergency evacuations remain difficult, aggravated by the lack of clear signage and the conditions of the works in progress. Furthermore, the failure to approve the earthquake bonus for the securing private buildings raised protests. The mayor of Bacoli, Josi Della Ragione, and Marco Sarracino of the Democratic Party, criticized the government for not including the measure in the superbonus decree, leaving homeowners to face the costs alone.
