Ad hoc works for each river, bulldozers in action by 2026

"The goal is to see the bulldozers in operation as early as the end of next year". Manuela Rontini, undersecretary of the Emilia-Romagna region with responsibility for civil protection, does not want to speculate on work delays. After the devastating floods of 2023 and 2024 "it is time to move from words to deeds so that something like this does not happen again". The topic is that of the hydraulic works needed to prevent flooding of the many watercourses that run from the Apennines down to the plains.

To speed up, explains Rontini, 'a change of vision was necessary. We decided to reconfigure the process for the identification and programming of interventions: the planning was conceived river by river, so as to create a series of strategic interventions linked to the specificities of individual watercourses'. Since last summer, a series of meetings began in the territories to discussthe safety plans of individual basins. In some cases, the method provided for participants (citizens, associations, committees, companies) to send comments and suggestions to the Region. For the time being, plans have been presented on the Lamone (Faenza), Sillaro (Imola) and Senio (Castel Bolognese) rivers. New assemblies are planned shortly for the Santerno (Sant'Agata) and the Savio valley (Forlì).

A path, that of confrontation on the future of the territories, which is proving difficult. "At first, the mobilisation of the people was really impressive. In a few weeks, we received thousands of signatures urging us to move forward. But then, when it came time to talk about concrete projects, the first discontent emerged. Basically, people do not want the works near their homes. However,' Rontini reiterates, 'we cannot afford to stall and risk new catastrophes.

For these preventive works one billion euro has been allocated, which probably will not be enough, but in the meantime the resources to start are there. The project idea was to equip each reservoir with lamination tanks and agricultural areas that, in case of need, can act as a compensation chamber for the waters, thus preventing them from reaching the plains. Installations that are not always light in terms of their impact on the land, natural areas and residential and productive activities.

With regard toreconstruction, on the other hand, the resources allocated by former commissioner Figliuolo amount to 2.8 billion euro. "On this chapter," Rontini goes on to explain, "6,490 interventions have been planned by 293 bodies and companies, and 75 million remain to be committed. For private individuals, the reimbursement of damages envisages a ceiling of 1.9 billion euro. To date, about 6,200 applications have been submitted, of which about one tenth have been settled. Finally, for the ordinary and extraordinary maintenance of the rivers, the De Pascale council has decided to double the budgeted resources, from 24 to 50 million a year.