The government’s plan to tackle the water emergency is coming to life
The council of ministers gives the green light to a decree in sixteen articles to combat drought. This is how Palazzo Chigi was born the queen cabin against the water crisis. It will be chaired by the Minister for Infrastructure, the deputy premier, Matteo Salvini. Also comes a extraordinary national commissioner, who will remain in office until 31 December 2023. However, the assignment may be extended by one year to carry out the urgent interventions that will be indicated by the same control room. But above all from now on there will also be many salads for those who abuse public water.
The bet is the Pnrr
The government is confident that it will be able to make the most of the resources of the Pnrr to counter the water emergency. For this reason the decree provides for a package of simplifications that speeds up the procedures for interventions on water infrastructures. It also establishes a faster path for the creation of the desalination plants. Among the novelties, the farewell to the Via for structures with a flow rate of less than 200 liters per second and the single authorization for the use of waste water in agriculture.
“The intent is to promote the implementation of the most urgent and rapid implementation interventions”explains a note from MIT. At this point, within 30 days from the date of entry into force of the decree, the control room will carry out a survey of the urgent works to stop the drought emergency.
The resource node
There is still no amount that the government has decided to allocate against drought. But MIT explained that it will be insured with sums not yet awarded. In the past, after all, Minister Salvini had declared that the intention of the executive was to allocate one billion euros for the most urgent interventions to be carried out in the coming months.
Meanwhile the control room will have to meet as soon as possible to define the works that the commissioner will have to deal with extraordinary, which will be appointed with Dpcm, following a resolution in the Council of Ministers, within ten days of the entry into force of the decree. He will practically have carte blanche since he will be equipped with special accounting and will be supported by a structure of 25 people (including five managers), as well as five consultants.
The Observatories are born in the Basin Authority
To monitor the use of blue gold, the executive has decided to establish the District observers on water uses which will rely on the Basin Authority. In addition, a plan to raise awareness among the population is planned. On this issue, the collaboration of consumer associations who have been dealing with the issue for some time will be central.
There are also sanctions against abuses
Illegal extraction and use of public water without authorization will be punished with fines of up to 50 thousand euros. Then there is also the suspension from May to October of mortgage installments and loans for concessionaires of small hydroelectric derivations
“No government had chosen to address the problem in a structural way so far, we choose to do it before it becomes an emergency and we do it by networking all the various institutional levels that deal with this matter in a control room and simplifying the procedures” clarified Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.