They amount to approximately 63 million euros the funds allocated by the Government to Piedmont within the framework of the Drought Control Plan. This is about the first excerpt of the Water Plan presented by the Minister of Infrastructure Salvini to the Water Control Room.
The measure is aimed at protecting the resource through innovative structural interventions that will overcome the age-old issue of water supply forever and make infrastructure more efficient. The Prime Minister’s signature is expected within the week, so that the resources, the first 950 million from MITarrive in the territories before the end of the summer.
The Plan has a concrete perspective, with a request for funds for a total of over 12 billion. The proposal for investment planning is in fact composed of 418 interventions admitted for a total requested amount of €12,004,184,074.95, which can be programmed in the coming years, as state, European and budget law resources become available.
In particular, these are 66 interventions relating to reservoirs for 3,256,341,908.83 euros; 93 interventions relating to derivations for 1,665,657,131.14 euros; 137 interventions relating to additions for 3,540,710,114.77 euros; 122 interventions relating to aqueducts for 3,541,474,920.21 euros.
“The plan to combat drought was strongly supported by the League, which was responsible for the proposal for the first phase, which was approved. Among the reforms introduced by the PNRR, the simplification of the legislation and the strengthening of governance are also envisaged for the water sector, in order to be more effective in investments through a National Plan for interventions in the water sector (PNIISSI)”explains the senator Giorgio Maria Bergesio, vice-president of the Productive Activities Commission of Palazzo Madama.
“This is a historic intervention, awaited by the entire country and, in particular, by Piedmont, one of the regions most affected by the drought, which is paid for by citizens and companies, but also one of the main beneficiaries of the funding”continues the senator from Cuneo, who underlines: “Finally we are thinking long-term, and not just, as has always happened, to put a patch on things.”
The aim of the drought-fighting plan is to secure the water system, which will also lead to less waste of water resources. Overall, Piedmont is immediately allocated funds for 62.912.000 eurodivided as follows:
– 14,900,000 euros for the Government Body of Area No. 4 Cuneo for Water Services, CO.GE.SI scrl for works to replace distribution pipes, serving the inter-municipal network and related districting in the Municipalities of Cuneo, Borgo San Dalmazzo, Vignolo, Cervasca, Bernezzo, Caraglio, Dronero, Centallo, Tarantasca, Boves, Castelletto Stura, Busca, Villar San Costanzo, Costigliole Saluzzo, Roccasparvera and Gaiola, construction of a filtration plant in the Andonno area and efficiency improvement of the tank in the Crocetta area;
– 40,950,000 euros for the Piedmont Region – Est Sesia Irrigation Association – Regina Elena Canal and Alto Novarese Diramatore – for extraordinary maintenance of the tunnels and various sections of the canal for the improvement of the hydraulic seal, the transport of the water resource and water saving, in the municipalities of Varallo Pombia, Pombia, Marano Ticino, Oleggio, Bellinzago Novarese and Cameri;
– 7,062,000 euros for the Piedmont Region – Coutenza Canale Carlo Alberto, for the project to adapt and modernize the Carlo Alberto canal for efficiency and safety.
“Climate change is just one of the causes of the water crisis that has been recurring in the summer for twenty years. But the contributing cause is that in Italy the primary water supply system, i.e. reservoirs and aquifers, is totally deficient, due to lack of maintenance in the last 40 years. I thank the deputy prime minister and minister of infrastructure Matteo Salvini who is taking Italy an important step forward with the plan to combat drought, which has always been one of the main points of the League’s programme, the first, fundamental piece of the creation of a water system finally efficient, after decades of neglect. The programming that will allow the implementation of many interventions in the coming years which are now part of the national investment plan in the water sector is fundamental”concludes Senator Bergesio.
