MONCALIERI. The thieves also hit the construction site of the Moncalieri spillway. The most important hydraulic work in the history of the city, which will finally be operational from next month. A few days ago, unknown persons took possession of all the copper cables of the electrical system that was to be installed. A few kilos of “red gold” which obviously brought problems to the continuation of the construction site. After the reports of the case, the construction company decided to hire vigilantes to monitor the area, especially in the evening hours. In recent days, the Municipality has found the funds to install surveillance cameras. In addition to trying to “armor” the electrical system with concrete armor. «After the canal is operational – explains councilor Angelo Ferrero –, the part that houses the maxi electrical system, necessary for closing and opening the bulkheads in the event of a water alarm, will be covered by electronic eyes to avoid surprises. We have worked for years on a similar project and we cannot risk it being prey to ill-intentioned people.”
There are 20 thousand people from Moncalier who will benefit from the drainage canal: «The testing phase is finishing – explains the councilor –, in July it will be time for the ribbon cutting. The plumbing problems that caused the 2016 and 2019 flood disasters will no longer be a tragic memory of the past.” A construction site that continued for five years at a cost of almost 10 million euros. The interventions are located on the right bank of the Po, in the stretch between the mouth of the Ficca canal (where the copper cables were stolen) and the bridges over the great river. The spillway will be 300 meters long, with lifting stations created specifically to prevent the sewer water from discharging correctly in the event of a flood and ending up flooding the areas along the axis of Corso Savona and Strada Genova, in Borgo Aje and Borgo Vittoria. The underpasses of via Tiro a Segno and strada Brandina have been alarmed over time with sound signals and bars ready to close in the event of flooding. The canal will be parallel to the railway line, with water collection in the Borgo Aje area. Near the revenue agency in Corso Savona, there will also be a maxi pumping station.
Moncalieri has been waiting for this work since 2000, but had to go through two floods before seeing the executive project and the start of construction sites. In the meantime, disasters arrived, with families losing everything and entire villages flooded by the raging waters. «We must not forget that a project of this importance – adds the councilor – has had to endure many unexpected obstacles: such as the pandemic, increases in the costs of raw materials due to the war in Ukraine and inflation. In short, the journey has not been easy, but we have reached the end. It will therefore be understood that due to the capital importance of the spillway, the control of the technical instruments must be constant. After all the work done, we cannot allow ourselves to not be able to put it into operation if necessary because the electrical cables were torn to steal the copper.” In the last period several public works in the province have been targeted for the same reason: such as the aqueduct in Rosta, which twice in the space of a few weeks was literally stripped by raiders, ending up out of use.
