He knows the Flumendosa like the back of his hand. He's never seen the watercourse in this state. That's why the mayor of Seulo, Enrico Murgia , fears for the fate of a unique environment. Not only the "Sa Stiddiosa" waterfall, but also much more. "On August 15th, the Flumendosa didn't suffer any damage: it was replaced. In place of a living river—gravel, crevices, insects, trout, dragonflies—there is now a mud-lined conduit, biologically silent for forty kilometers. The science of fine sediments tells us two simple things: that this silence, left undisturbed, will last for years. This is why I'm calling for immediate action, especially from ARPAS. We demand accurate analyses and reassurance ."
The brown color is disturbing. It shakes the landscape, alarming. It presents an unwelcome sight. For weeks, the Flumendosa has been a stretch of mud. The feeling, almost a certainty, according to experts, "is that this environmental emergency could escalate into an environmental disaster," Murgia emphasizes. "That's why I sent a detailed report to the relevant authorities: the regional Department of the Environment, Adis, Enas, Forestas, Arpas, and Civil Protection. Since August 15th, the river has been biologically still," the mayor remarks. "The most telling field finding is the almost total absence of life, even above the water's surface: neither flies nor dragonflies are observed, a sign that the emergence of aquatic insects has stopped and that the benthic community that fed them has been buried." Murgia continues: "The Municipality of Seulo has initiated the process for the recognition of the state of natural disaster and environmental and landscape emergency."
The mayor doesn't hide his concern. A vast natural heritage appears to be in danger, threatened by a wave of mud that raises fears of the worst. Seulo leads the "revolt," but fear is shared by all the neighboring towns, crossed by that waterway, which is sending out unmistakable and far from comforting signals. "ARPAS has released a report that isn't reassuring at all," says Enrico Murgia. "Their analyses call it 'sand,' but for me it's mud."
