The protest of the agricultural world over the water emergency resulting from the drought which has left rivers and especially lakes dry on the island is not easing, rather intensifying. Palermo has become the end point of repeated complaints from farmers who fear for the life of plants and from trade unions who are already announcing damage to agricultural production such as citrus fruits, peaches and fruit and vegetables, as well as to livestock farming. While the professional organization of Coldiretti continues to occupy the square in front of Palazzo d’Orleans and does not seem willing to dismantle the yellow gazebos, a large group of farmers from Agrigento, who arrived by bus and many private cars, with the presence of a dozen mayors of the agricultural district between Ribera and Bivona, dependent on the catchment area of the Castello dam, protested yesterday morning in Palermo, in via Campania, at the Department of Energy, Waste and Water, with a detailed program of demands, in an extreme attempt, if some water arrives for irrigation, we can partially save the production and life of the plants.
The Agrigento people achieved their first victory. Contrary to a few days ago when there was not a drop of water allocated to agriculture, it was announced that 2 million cubic meters will be granted to the Basin Authority for subsequent assignment to the Agrigento 3 consortium to irrigate peach and citrus groves . The farmers had asked for 3.5 million cubic meters to guarantee two good irrigations. The agreement has been signed between the Water Department and the reclamation consortium which will have to deal with the repairs and maintenance of the water supply between Gammauta and Castello. The purchase of three large electric pumps has been guaranteed to be placed on the Verdura river in Poggio Diana, in Tragaleggi and near the mouth to prevent the water from ending up in the sea today.
“The situation regarding the allocation of water from the Castello dam is evolving because other strategies are being studied to store as much water as possible – say the mayors Matteo Ruvolo di Ribera and Milko Cinà di Bivona – another meeting is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon in the headquarters of the Basin Authority in Palermo to scrape the bottom of the barrel. Precise calculations will be made to identify another million cubic metres, a total of 3.5 million as requested by the city committee and the farmers, which could come from the positioning of a raft with a motor in the center of the Castello dam, from evaporation considering the season already warm enough and water that will be able to reach the Bivonese reservoir, through the adductor, from the Gammauta crossroads”.
The leaders of the Basin Authority, the Department of Energy, Waste and Water, the commissioner for the water emergency in agriculture of Aica, the mayors of Ribera and Bivona and two members of the “Together for the water. In the claim document, presented to the Region, the committee also asked for the update of the feasibility study of the Valentino dam drawn up by the engineer’s office. Quignones with the assignment of the preliminary design and the desludging and arrangement of the settling tanks of the Gebbia weir in order to allow a greater flow of water to the Castello dam.
Meanwhile, on the fourth day of Coldiretti’s demonstration before the Presidency of the Sicilian Region, the regional managers of the farmers’ organization are keen to point out that “until the requests already approved and shared by President Schifani are operational, the farmers’ demonstration will continue which began last May 28th at the end of the event with over 20 thousand members in front of the Sicilian Region. Coldiretti Sicilia’s position is clear. Meanwhile, yesterday morning a meeting was held at the Rural Development Department for the definition of the extraordinary wildlife management plan provided for by article 19 ter of law 157 of 1992.
The meeting saw the participation of Stefano Masini, professor of agricultural law at the University of Tor Vergata and head of the environmental area of the Coldiretti National Confederation. By Monday, in light of the investigations carried out, the procedure should be definitively approved.”
PS In the photo farmers protested in front of the Water Department
