MERANO. The drawers of the municipal administration are full of studies carried out since 2019, signed by Patscheider, Dessì, Cainelli, Riedl. Now do we need another one? And beyond the proclamations, when will something concrete be done to provide an answer to the problem of the aquifer in Sinigo?
Many doubts, and a need for clarification, say those who have deepened their knowledge of the topic over time, translated into folders of documents and historical memory. Roberto Scala, former president of the neighborhood committee, Giancarlo Battistotti, an expert with long experience at Memc, and Fabrizio Nicolini, always on the front line to keep the light on the issue, put their faces on the line and show all their doubts regarding the recent declarations from the administration that on the one hand has stated – and it is obvious – that the problem cannot be solved in the short term, and on the other has announced that it wants to commission a technical-economic feasibility study for the construction of a pump.
“Its restoration had already been indicated as essential in other studies to intervene on the control of the aquifer”, explains the group, which recalls in particular how the feasibility study by engineer Riedl of January 20, 2023 already provides answers, including economic evaluations. “We certainly do not attribute responsibility to this administration for the havoc of the devastation of the reclamation system that occurred during the building expansion phases of the hamlet, in the 80s and 90s”, explain the three. “However, compared to other areas of the territory, think of Bolzano where the aquifer problem was discovered recently, the situation in Sinigo was well known.
Constant monitoring is fine, but we consider it the bare minimum and it does not justify inaction in taking effective and emergency actions. Let’s be clear: in the area of Via Fermi, cellars and garages are flooded at an unsustainable rate, in some cases the water remains almost permanently. With damage and costs currently borne by the inhabitants, even though the situation is not their responsibility. The situation is serious today: how much more time will have to be spent on assessments, planning, and funding allocations? We need solutions that are even partial and temporary, but immediate. The fact that there are investigations underway by the Court of Auditors cannot be a justification for doing nothing”. The sewers.
“The most urgent action – continues the group that carries the concerns of a large part of the residents of Sinigo – concerns pumping the water from the flooded premises, but in some municipal questions on the matter it was answered that they do not want to allow the discharge into the sewer system because it is considered inadequate, regardless of the serious damage that this situation causes to the inhabitants, to the point of harming safety. Why has nothing been done in all these years to adapt the aforementioned drainage system? Well, when the firefighters arrive to empty the basements, where do they discharge the water?” On the subject of the pump, “this certainly serves a purpose but does not solve the problems in all of Sinigo. In particular in via Fermi where the water table is strongly influenced by the level of the Adige.
And by the way, we wonder when this was last dredged”. The pot. Here are the questions and the objections – and they are just a skimming of a boiling pot of worries and claims – towards institutions and authorities called to manage a certainly complex issue, but which at the moment has no answers. And the reference to the pot can be traced back to an example given by the three spokespersons: “If in a pot we have a quantity of water close to the brim, the addition of a small quantity of water is sufficient to make it overflow. On the other hand, if the same contains less water, that is, a lower level, more water needs to be added to make it overflow. So, the reclamation system was used to keep the water level in the pot as low as possible”.
Reclamation system dismantled piece by piece, decommissioning on the altar of building expansion main and minor canals, water pumps and siphons, destroying a framework that allowed a balance of the aquifer. «It is clear that especially in these times characterized by strong and sudden rainfall, which risk becoming increasingly frequent following climate change, the dismantling of the reclamation system becomes even more harmful in its effects. A short period of heavy rain is enough to raise the water level with related flooding of basements and elevator shafts, making the latter unusable in many cases, with imaginable problems for the elderly and disabled. The old reclamation system was organic and functional for the entire territory of the hamlet, today with its destruction more problem areas have been created, two of which are particularly large: Sinigo alta (Borgo Vittoria area) and Sinigo Bassa (Via Fermi area). Studies say that the methods and costs for the construction of works aimed at solving the problem in each of the areas are different.
In Sinigo Alta, much of the problem can be traced back to the good functionality and correct restoration and constant maintenance of the canals connected to the Corridoni canal and the installation of the drainage pumps. The solution in Sinigo Bassa appears more complex and costly, so rapid interventions are even more necessary, even if temporary, while waiting for the definitive and decisive ones».
2024-08-26 18:18:28