Environmental emergency in Benevento: the Calore River choked by foam and fish deaths.

In Benevento, the Calore River is the scene of a serious environmental disaster. A thick layer of white foam covers the waterway beneath the Vanvitelli Bridge, accompanied by a dramatic death of fish, swept away by the current or trapped in the algae.

The worrying situation was highlighted by Mauro Gilardi, candidate for the "Civico 22" list, and Professor Michele Intorcia, representatives of local citizens and associations who have been committed to protecting the water basin for years.

Law enforcement agencies, including the Carabinieri Forestali, Arpac, and the Fire Brigade, have already intervened on behalf of the Prosecutor's Office to address the emergency. However, the problem highlights two structural critical issues: persistent delays in the construction of the city's wastewater treatment plant, which have resulted in heavy fines for Italy from the European Union, and the ineffectiveness of the "River Contract for the Middle Calore," a tool considered by many organizations, including the WWF, to have failed to deliver concrete results for river protection.

Francesco Emilio Borrelli, a member of parliament for the Green-Left Alliance, harshly commented on the incident: “The images arriving from Benevento show a true ecocide, carried out with indifference and disregard for the rules.

I thank the associations and citizens for their constant commitment. It is unacceptable that a regional capital continues to face European fines for a non-existent sewage treatment plant, while the river is choked by pollution and wastewater.

The River Contract has proven to be a failure. I will raise the issue with Parliament, submitting a question to the Minister of the Environment, to shed light on those responsible, obtain clear deadlines for the purification plant, and determine who failed to monitor. Those who pollute and those who fail to monitor must be held accountable.