Alessandria and Asti: hectares illegally occupied near rivers. Fines exceeding 27.000 Euros
"Safe River" inspection campaign by the Forestry Carabinieri.
Alessandria and Asti: hectares illegally occupied near rivers. Fines exceeding 27.000 Euros.
To protect biodiversity and the hydraulic efficiency of watercourses against degradation and landslides – several illegalities have emerged in the provinces of Alessandria and Asti.
Last April, i Forestry Carabinieri units of the two provinces, as part of a control campaign launched at national level by its top command, have carried out massive checks on the correct use of the so-called peri-river areas, that is, those green bands alongside the watercourses that are so precious for their hydraulic functionality in the event of floods as well as for the biodiversity of the associated ecosystems.
30 years after the last tragic flood of '94 which hit the area hard, this campaign is particularly significant today and of ever-present significance, considering the hydrogeological critical issues that the national news increasingly reports. The correct observance of the rules to protect the good hydrogeological structure is in fact always fundamental to preserve the safety of citizens and to prevent significant damage to structures and infrastructures when very intense meteorological events occur.
The possibility for water to flow freely without encountering easily flowable natural or anthropic obstacles is very important. In summary, the natural vegetation must be maintained at a young stage to slow down the speed of the current and at the same time to avoid the uprooting of the plants, thus compromising the stability of the bridges and the resulting flooding. Human infrastructures must therefore be, when possible and after appropriate planning, defended with correct bank protections or kept at a safe distance from watercourses as well as cultivated fields and poplar groves which, in certain specifically identified river sections, can favor erosion or still the transport of entire plants downstream.
The most recurring offenses concerned failure to comply with river buffer zones, which instead of being left to a controlled evolution of the natural vegetation have been subjected to agricultural work, considerably increasing the erodibility of the soil. In some areas, considered at particular risk of removal by the PAI (hydrogeological plan of the Po basin), despite an express ban on poplar cultivation, entire plants have been highlighted for a total surface area of 19,3 hectares (equal to approximately 28 football fields), of which 11,5 in the province of Alessandria and 7,8 in the province of Asti.
Of particular and surprising importance were the various occupations of state-owned river water property without the necessary concession from the Piedmont Region.. 31 hectares were illegally occupied near the rivers (equal to approximately 45 football fields) mainly for agricultural purposes.
As well as elevating administrative sanctions for a total of 27.000 euros, the Forestry Carabinieri have informed the competent regional authorities for the recovery of the missed concession fees, estimated at approximately 120.000 euros. The campaign also countered various attacks on the peri-river environment such as the illicit management of waste and the abandonment of end-of-life vehicles, the incorrect use of forestry land, the illegal withdrawal of water and the construction of works in defiance of urban planning and landscaping. A total of 60 criminal offenses were reported to the competent judicial authorities and 44 were of an administrative nature for a total amount of 57.983 euros, so-called "reduced amount" if paid by the offenders within the established terms.
The verified sections of the waterways concerned the Po, Bormida and Tanaro rivers and the Belbo, Borbera, Grana and Scrivia streams plus some elements of the minor hydrographic network, such as the Torto (Novi Ligure) and Stura Inferiore (Frassineto Po) streams.
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