Sarno River, residents barefoot in the water: "Enough with poisons and illegal dumping."

Citizens, associations, and government representatives waded barefoot into the Sarno River to demand concrete action against pollution and the definitive restoration of the basin. It happened this morning in Sarno, during the sit-in "Feet in the Water, Hands on the Future," organized by Europa Verde representative Roberto Robustelli.

At the heart of the demonstration was the message conveyed by signs and slogans: "The Sarno is not a sewer" and "Water is life." The demonstration was attended by Francesco Emilio Borrelli, MP for the Green-Left Alliance, regional councilor Carlo Ceparano, Aniello Fasolino, provincial co-spokesperson for Europa Verde, Francesco Servino, and representatives of civic committees. Opposition regional councilor Sebastiano Odierna was also present.

The request for checks

"Over the summer, together with environmental lawyer Fabio Armano, we traveled along the Sarno River and its tributaries, surveyed discharges, and filed complaints with the prosecutors of Nocera Inferiore and Torre Annunziata," Borrelli stated. The goal, according to the MP, is to crack down "relentlessly" on illegal discharges and strengthen controls on production activities, particularly in the tanning and canning sectors, as well as addressing the issue of uncollected municipal wastewater.

Borrelli and Ceparano called for a complete mapping of authorized discharges, with identification systems that allow immediate identification of the owner and the authorization details. "Every pipe discharging into the river must be traceable," was the demand reiterated during the sit-in, to distinguish legal facilities from illegal and potentially polluting discharges.

The issue of recovery

Europa Verde representatives also recalled what happened during the lockdown, when the reduction in production activities coincided with a visible improvement in water quality in some parts of the basin. Hence the call for ongoing monitoring, more stringent checks, and accessible data on the river's quality.

The sit-in is part of an ongoing debate over the future of the Sarno River: the Regional Council unanimously approved a resolution on the reclamation and safety of the basin, while the intervention program includes approximately €407 million for environmental, sewerage, purification, and hydraulic safety works.
"The resources are there, but now we need construction sites, inspections, and measurable results," was the message that emerged from the demonstration. "Polluters must be identified and punished."