Cagliari, 5 May 2023 – The new tender for the completion of the Cumbidanovu dam towards the award of the contract. According to what was communicated today by the Central Sardinia Reclamation Consortium to the Regional Department of Public Works, four offers were received when the envelopes were opened. “While waiting for the procedures to be completed – declares the commissioner, Saiu – we remain cautious but we are optimistic. It is an undoubtedly positive result after the first race which went deserted. The work put into the field has allowed us to speed up the times and announce a second tender in a very short time. We are now awaiting the award of the first lot, the most important one which concerns the construction of the dam body, and the start of the construction sites for a fundamental work that the area has been waiting for a long time”.
A result, that of the tender, which closely follows what was decided yesterday by Giunta Solinas on the planning of resources for the design of the works necessary for the distribution of the water collected in the reservoirs of Cumbidanovu and Monti Nieddu which are about to be completed: the funds amount to a total of 9.2 million, with a distribution of 4.6 million for each reservoir, and will be managed directly by the company Works and infrastructures of Sardinia (Ois) headed by the regional councilorship of public works.
“Over the last year – says councilor Saiu – we have managed to guarantee financial coverage for the completion of the nationally important dams of Cumbidanovu and Monti Nieddu both with funds from the regional budget and with new resources from the Ministry of Infrastructure . We are unlocking two of the most important and controversial unfinished works in our region. However, we cannot be satisfied with the creation of the reservoirs without already thinking now of an efficient use of the water resource, therefore we believe that it is strategic now to start the design of the hydraulic works that will serve for the best use of the water collected”.
“Cumbidanovu – underlines councilor Saiu – is, of the two, the one further ahead. After the refinancing of the work, the first tender went unanswered but thanks to a remodulation of resources and the work of the offices of the councilorship and the ministry it was possible to immediately announce another one, which manages the reclamation consortium of Central Sardinia in quality of implementer. From an initial estimate, it emerges that for the construction of hydraulic works useful for the irrigation of agricultural land in the municipalities of Orgosolo, Oliena, Nuoro, Orune, Lula and Dorgali, for the production of hydroelectric energy and for the supply for industrial uses 150 million euros will be needed. We are therefore talking about public works of enormous value. We want to create the functional connection with the Su Tuvu purification plant so as to allow the irrigation of a vast area downstream from Nuoro, with enormous production potential. Through the resources allocated by the regional council it will be possible to do so “.
“A similar argument – specifies the commissioner – applies to the dam on the Rio Monti Nieddu. In November of last year, the junta found the resources needed to unblock the work. We are now planning the funds that will be used for the design of the other hydraulic works. From the first assessments, the construction of the connection between the reservoir on the Monti Nieddu stream and the Abbanoa purifier in the municipality of Sarroch, from which the coastal municipalities of the vast south-western area of Sardinia can be fed, and the construction of the piedmont pipeline that will connect the reservoir for the 5 loading tanks from which the branches will branch off to feed the irrigation users of the same vast south-western area entail an overall financial requirement of 150 million euros”.
“Efficient water management in Sardinia – concludes councilor Saiu – requires action on various fronts and we have clear ideas. The improvement of the overall storage capacity passes through the construction of new works, for bringing existing ones up to standard and making them safe, for the progressive overcoming of static rolling plans which involve too much waste. The most important work to be done is that of the distribution networks. It is unacceptable that today 50-60% of water is lost in sieve pipes. Finally, we need to improve on the front of the use of waste water. We plan a series of actions on each of these aspects. As for the Cumbidanovu and Monti Nieddu dams, we will continue to work because we want to see construction sites restart”.