(By Emanuela De Crescenzo).
While a political battle rages in the
Italian capital between the Democratic Party (PD) and the
anti-establishment M5S to remove trash littering the city's
parks and streets, little attention seems to be given to the
state of degradation on the banks of the Tiber River.
Hidden in the bushes and visible only by sailing down the
river itself, the homeless and migrants live in unauthorized
settlements on the banks of the river amid filth and
abandonment.
In the heart of the city between the iron bridge named Ponte
dell'Industria and the Ponte della Scienza, a group of homeless
people have set up tents and tables.
Nearby are two rubbish mounds, one of which contains many
bags and wallets as well as bottles, clothing and leftovers,
while many remnants of copper wire are in the other.
In the section of the river between the former slaughterhouse
and Piazza dell'Emporio there is a similar scene and another
settlement amid mounds of rubbish, clothes hanging outside
drying and people playing cards.
Within the Cloaca Maxima itself, which was built in ancient
Rome to drain local marshes and remove the waste of Rome into
the Tiber and is still working, a mini-apartment has been built.
Over the past 30 years, dozens of projects for the Tiber have
been shelved.
A few days ago, the issue was brought up again by M5S
representative Angelo Diario, who wrote on Facebook that "could
you imagine that until the mid-20th century, Romans enjoyed the
city's river as a place to relax and do sports in the open air?"
adding that sport could become a driving force to get the city
back on its feet.
A project is underway involving various associations and
Rome Councillor for Sports, Youth Policies and Major Events
Daniela Frongia to rehabilitate the banks of the Tiber, he
stressed, for this very purpose.
On April 3, Frongia and several M5S councillors rafted down
the river to look at the possibility of using the various
sections for sports purposes and to assess the conditions of the
banks.
In January, the Lazio region announced a bidding process for
a three-year contact worth 2.13 million euros for ordinary and
extraordinary maintenance of the section between Castel Giubileo
and Tiber Island. Six bids were received by February 28 and the
regional government is currently assessing them.
The winner will have to cut the bushes and other plants,
clean the area, remove and treat solid waste and other material
transported down the river during times of high water levels and
remove tree trunks and branches.
Rehabilitation of the unauthorized settlements and drainage
of the riverbed are not included in the contract, as they are
not under the regional authorities' remit.
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