The recent storm that hit the Castelvenere area caused extensive damage, flooding streets, basements and causing sewerage and electrical systems to fail. Mayor Alessandro Di Santo has announced a series of decisive interventions, with the support of supra-municipal bodies, to avoid the repetition of such events and guarantee the safety of citizens.
Immediate interventions and long-term planning
“After a reconnaissance to assess the damage and causes of the flooding, we will start immediate interventions,” declared the Mayor. The first step will be a joint inspection with the technicians of the Province of Benevento to address the problem of the water coming from the ‘Tore’ hill, which invades the Telese-Solopaca provincial road and flows into the “Vallone”. The proposed solution involves discharging the water into the ‘Seneta’ stream, which is wider and has a greater flow rate.
Causes and Short-Term Solutions
The main cause of the flooding was the exceptional amount of rainfall that fell in a short time. However, the valley ditch blocked and not cleaned by the frontists, together with the silting of the valley near the sports field, also contributed to the disaster. To address these critical issues, the municipal administration has drawn up a project for the recovery and reconstruction of the banks of the “Vallone” river ditch, with concrete and naturalistic interventions.
Economic Challenges and Search for Financing
The cost of the project, which exceeds one million euros, is not sustainable with current budget funds. “We are looking for sources of financing and we are inserting the project into the RENDIS platform,” explained the Mayor. In the meantime, with the available resources, a cleaning of the ‘valley’ will be carried out and we are considering bringing the underground section back to the open air to improve the flow of water.
Additional Actions to Mitigate Hydrogeological Risk
In addition to the management of the ‘valley’, another critical element is the non-regimentation of the waters coming from the Tore hill. To reduce the hydrogeological risk, the ancient drainage channels will be restored and, if necessary, new ones will be created. These interventions aim to improve stormwater management and prevent further damage in the event of future heavy rains.
