The record heat wave will continue for another ten days and many Italian municipalities are running for cover for the drought emergency , from Milan to Padua, from Turin to Cremona .
The Municipality of Milan has closed all the fountains and the mayor Beppe Sala has asked citizens to make responsible use of drinking water "both for domestic use and to irrigate lawns, private gardens and clean terraces and courtyards".
"The suspension of spray irrigation of lawns and green areas was decided, except for drip irrigation which affects new tree plants" which must be preserved. Instead , the fountains will remain open, which in any case can be a source of refreshment "given the temperatures and the arrival of a new heat wave".
Precisely to help the areas most in difficulty, both Trentino and Alto Adige have decided to increase the production of hydroelectric plants . "This first act of collaboration within the communities of the Alps is welcome - thanks from the governor of Veneto, Luca Zaia -, given that the drama of drought brings with it two problems: the first is the lack of rainfall and the request for the use of mountain reservoirs, the second is the risk that sea water goes back to the mouths of rivers, preventing farmers from being able to exploit the water resource, since salt water burns crops ".
It is the Undersecretary for Agricultural Policies himself, Gian Marco Centinaio , who raised the alarm. "Some agricultural productions - he says - risk losses of 70% due to the lack of water . Drought is a national problem, we need to think about a new national plan to renew irrigation infrastructures, such as the reservoirs". The vice president of the Agriculture commission and sector manager of the Democratic Party, Susanna Cenni calls for "immediate measures with a clear vision of the future". "Enough talking about emergencies and natural disasters - he says -. The drought and temperatures of these days have a precise name: climate crisis, climate change, and it is not an emergency, but a fact, a reality to deal with" .
(Unioneonline / D)
