The drought alarm in Sicily is becoming increasingly serious and Renato Schifani now he is knocking on the doors of the European Union to ask for the funds necessary to intervene in the emergency. In the meantime the Region has allocated more than 10 million euros for the breeders: a regional register has been established for livestock feed suppliers which will be purchased with vouchers provided by the regional offices. While another 15 million were added just two days ago in the Budget Committee. But the one that broke out in Sicily is a much deeper crisis which overall involves losses of one billion.
Voucher for farmers to save livestock – But how did this emergency arise? First of all, there is little rain from September onwards dried up the earth to such an extent that it was not possible to harvest hay. Added to this is the fact that there is not enough grass for free pastures either waterfall for the drinking troughs in natural sources. A dramatic situation for animals, which is why i voucher are defined by Emanuele Nobilebreeder and president of Coldiretti Ragusaas “one glimmer of hope that gives us optimism”. A crisis that led to national state of emergency, requested and obtained by governor Schifani already in April. But in the following months the situation worsened: “It’s still not rainingthey arrived African anticyclones and tree crops like the livesthe olive tree and the citrus fruits which represent a fundamental piece of our agricultural economy”, he explains Dario Cartabellottageneral manager of the regional department to Agriculture. A delegation which is also managed by Schifani: on paper, in fact, he would be the councillor Luca Sammartinobut the Northern League member was suspended from office for a year after being investigated by the Catania prosecutor’s office for corruption. The governor-councilor therefore turned to Europe to request the recognition of conditions of force majeure and exceptional circumstances for the entire Sicilian territory as provided for by EU regulation 2021/2116. In the documents sent to Brussels it is highlighted that the Sicily is now in “red zone” For lack of water“equal of Morocco and Algeria“. “The extremely serious situation requires us to take this further step to support our agricultural and livestock businesses”, writes Schifani in a note, with which he explains that “the recognition of the condition of force majeure and exceptional circumstances will allow agricultural and livestock businesses that operate throughout the Sicilian territory to take advantage of exceptions in some areas of the common agricultural policy, which would allow not to apply certain restrictions to pastures and land, continue to benefit from aid, postpone payments, sanctions and charges”.
Agrigento without water – While the tourism sector is already suffering the consequences Agrigento. A city that has never enjoyed a daily water supply: water only arrives 2 or 3 times a week. And with the crisis it’s even worse, as he says John Lopez, owner of a B&B in the historic center of the city of the Temples. A few days ago, he had to send a tourist away: “He had done one last minute booking and it would come later three quarters of an hour. We waited for him and then gave him 10 options of other hotels where he could be accommodated,” explains Lopez. “There is no flight of tourists from Agrigento”, claims the mayor Francesco Micciché. The news that appeared in the media infuriated the mayor: “The owner of the B&B forced to send a tourist away? Ask yourself if he opened his facility despite the size of yours water reserve”, accuses Micciché. The problem in the city which will be the capital of culture in 2025 is linked to the historic centre, where there is no possibility of having capacious autoclavesbeing able only to install i tanks on the roofs. A situation that has always been going on: “This time, however, it is different – assures the mayor -, after 30 years of mockery, we are now waiting for 37 million from Development and cohesion funds. Everything is already ready: the notice has been published, the tender has been made. In the meantime we have published a register of tanker companies from which to supply privately and we will see about activating smaller tankers to also provide the historic center”. Buffer solutions, yet Agrigento already has the watermakerwhich is located precisely at Porto Empedocle: “Years ago it was abandoned because it cost too much but everything is ready, you just need to re-insert the modules and it will be fully operational”, assures the mayor.
The very expensive Sicilian water – Water shortage in Sicily it is not due only to particulars weather conditions. In fact, the island’s supply has always been record-breaking serious water leaksmainly due to old systems. Second the Istateven the 51.6 percent of the water flow it is dispersed in the pipelines of Sicily, which is the second region for dispersion in Italy. Meanwhile, a share of the water of Messinawhere the supply is always rationed (almost always under 12 hours a day) it is provided to Webuild for the works of doubling of the Palermo-Catania railway: “We provide a supply share to Webuild for the works, given the proximity of our aqueduct to the rail works. But then we buy that share back from Siciliaqueso what I lose first, I I will buy it again later in the pipe,” he explains Except Pucciogeneral manager of municipality of Messinaand former director general ofAmam, the Messina subsidiary that manages the supply in the city which in 2015 remained without water for a month. An operation that could have gone to clear disadvantage of theAmamWhy Siciliacque sells water to a much higher price. The company that supplies water in the provinces of TrapaniAgrigento, CaltanissettaEnna and part of the province of Palermo and Messinawas born during the presidency of Salvatore Cuffaro and is today participated in 75% from Idrosiciliacontrolled by Italgas spaand 25% by the Region: “The cost of water supplied by Siciliaque at the Amam is of 0.69 cent per cubic meter. Our cost would only be 0.17but we resell it to Webuild at the same price as 0.69, so as not to make a loss,” explains Puccio. A very unbalanced cost between the investee company of the municipality of Messina and the investee company of the Region, which is largely private. But what would happen if work on the Messina bridge started? “In the 2011 project it is foreseen that the construction sites let them take water from the Amamin the update report we instead refer to the executive project for the identification of alternative resources: essentially, we still don’t know anything for sure”, continues Puccio.
Drought: emergency or business? – Costs, purchases, resales of water. And then again registers of tanker companies and registers of fodder suppliers. The Sicilian drought is an emergency, which for some risks turning into a real deal. “The only solution at the moment is pay more or less 100 or 120 euros for a tankerwhich usually contains 10 cubic meters of water” he explains Francesco Picarellapresident of Federalberghi Agrigento. It is the tankers, however, that supply the smaller islands: since 2001, in fact, the Ministry of Defence guarantees supply with entrustment to private individuals. The service has so far been carried out by a temporary grouping of companies Marnavi Spa And Vemar Srl: the water is sold to 11.67 euros for each cubic meter. Prices much higher than those charged by Siciliacque (0.69 per m3) and Amam (0.17). A real deal that he had investigated Trapani prosecutor’s officehypothesizing how in some cases actual “ghost trips”, inflating the water needs of Egadi Islandsthen repaid by Ministry which had issued the contract for the supply. However, the Trapani preliminary hearing judge acquitted all of them last December 20 under investigation including Marnavi itself, a Neapolitan shipping company. Accusations of inflated supplies have, however, also been made in the case of the Aeolian Islands by the prosecutor’s office Barcellona Pozzo di Gottoin the Messina area: in the investigation coordinated by the head of the prosecutor’s office Giuseppe Verzera and 44 suspects appear from the substitute Emanuela Scali, including herself Marnavi Spa and the shipowner Domenico Iovino. The prosecutors closed the investigation and requested house arrest for Iovino and 5 others, but the request was rejected by the investigating judge. The prosecutor’s office, however, lodged an appeal and the matter, after many postponements, is still pending before the court of Review. While also the National Anti-Corruption Authority in 2021 he had started a supervisory procedure for the critical issues that emerged: “From the failure to control the drinking water – writes the Anac – actually poured into the collection tanks on the individual islands to the not correct certification of the quantities of water poured, indicated in excess of that actually delivered”.
