"There's no time to waste." The Regional Council and Province of Sulcis Iglesiente must address the emergency caused by the overflowing Rio Mannu at a rapid pace. The mayors of the municipalities of Carbonia, Giba, Masainas, Nuxis, Perdaxius, Piscinas, Portoscuso, San Giovanni Suergiu, Santadi, Sant'Anna Arresi, Tratalias, and Villaperuccio issued an SOS in a letter of appeal to the regional Department of the Environment, Civil Protection, the Province, and, for information, the prefect.
"The floodgates at the bottom of the Bau Pressiu dam, a man-made reservoir located in the Nuxis area of the province of Southern Sardinia, have recently been opened to regulate the water flow and ensure the safety of the dam itself. This operation will cause the Rio Mannu river to swell, with serious repercussions on the surrounding areas," the statement reads.
The Mayors of the Union of Municipalities of Sulcis express their full solidarity with their fellow administrators of the municipalities crossed by the Rio Mannu, and in particular with the Mayor of Villaperuccio, Marcellino Piras, who has long been deaf and unheard of, declaring the dramatic danger of the watercourse and the devastating damage it causes. The Villaperuccio area is particularly exposed: the Rio Mannu flows through it for a full 13 kilometers, collecting both water from the overflow or voluntary spillage of the Bau Pressiu dam, as well as rainwater from the mountains of Nuxis, Narcao, and Santadi. This geographical configuration, the statement continues, makes the municipality extremely vulnerable to any flood event, effectively turning it into a catchment area for the waters of the vast surrounding area.
The Mayor of Villaperuccio has repeatedly denounced the extremely serious and significant economic damage suffered by local agriculture due to the problems associated with the Rio Mannu, also highlighting the drastic reduction in traffic caused by the river's constant and unstoppable flooding. These are no longer mere inconveniences: the progressive disintegration of the local productive fabric is underway, with devastating consequences for the entire community. The gravity of the current situation can no longer be underestimated. The river, completely out of control, is invading agricultural fields, making it impossible for farmers and ranchers to reach their farms, even with tractors. Production activities are completely paralyzed. The economic heritage of the area is at risk. Agricultural and livestock farms are effectively isolated and abandoned.
The Union's Mayors are raising a very serious alarm: this critical situation not only affects the municipalities directly crossed by the Rio Mannu, but will inevitably and dramatically extend to the entire economy of Sulcis Iglesiente. The disintegration of the agricultural and livestock production system represents a profound wound for an already fragile territory, which can no longer afford to wait. There is no time to waste. Local administrators urgently and decisively demand structured, immediate, and decisive intervention from the relevant authorities, particularly the Regional Council and the newly formed Province of Sulcis Iglesiente, so that definitive solutions can be adopted as quickly as possible to protect the territory and the affected communities.
