The water that enters immediately flows out. And ends up in the sea. The rate of this resounding mockery is 150 cubic meters per second . It's happening at the Maccheronis dam, in Torpè. The reservoir, which has remained desolately empty for months (in November there were approximately 0.41 million cubic meters, corresponding to 1.78% of the authorized volume), is now overflowing. Even better: the water in the reservoir has reached 38 meters above sea level, the maximum limit established by the Civil Protection Department, in recent months (and until March) while ENAS is working to raise the usable barrier.

Thus, given that more water is expected following the recent rains, the Civil Protection Department has ordered "the continuation of the flood risk alert phase downstream, with discharges expected to increase by 150 cubic meters per second by 1:30 PM today, in order to keep the reservoir level below the authorized 38 meters." This waste, justified by safety measures, has served its purpose in a thirsty Baronia, which has been dealing with restrictions for years.

"These are images we didn't want to see," says a regretful Ambrogio Guiso, president of the Central Sardinia Land Reclamation Consortium, who wouldn't see them "if the famous Abbaluchente dam existed, and we've been chasing this dream for about 10 years." A dam, he emphasizes, "that absolutely must be built because we can't dump about 40 million cubic meters of water into the sea every year." "Rightly," adds the president, "the Civil Protection has now issued this decree because, for safety's sake, if a flood like today's arrives and finds the dam full, it could create serious problems for the communities of Posada and Torpè. And we don't want this, but we must acknowledge that from now on, we must work with all the competent authorities, all the relevant departments—the Land Reclamation Consortium, ENAS, the Department of Public Works, Tepilora Park, and the Department of the Environment and Agriculture—to build the Abbaluchente dam. It must be done to stop this outflow of water into the sea and preserve this asset that God has given us over time.

With two dams, one with 80 million cubic meters and the other, Maccheronis, with 24 million cubic meters , "we could have a four- or even five-year capacity and permanently solve the drought problem in upper Baronia and lower Gallura." Guiso reiterates: "It's not possible to throw all this water into the sea."

(Unioneonline/E.Fr.)

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