Sicilian drought is national emergency says Salvini

(ANSA) - ROME, JUL 24 - The severe drought that Sicily is experiencing is a "national emergency", Deputy Premier and Transport and Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini told a question-time session in the Lower House on Wednesday.
    He said the government was taking "every action that is useful to overcome critical issues that have been evident for years" He said his ministry had completed the preliminary phase of national plan of infrastructural interventions for the water sector featuring around 950 million euros of funding.
    He said Sicily's share was about 10% of that and "will concern seven interventions for 92 million euros out of a total of 75 water works financed throughout Italy".
    He added that extraordinary national commissioner will propose a plan of urgent interventions to face the emergency.
    Scientists say the climate crisis caused by human greenhouse gas emissions is making extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts, supercharged storms and flooding more frequent and more intense.
    Although there are many sources of the greenhouse gases that are causing global heating, the main driver is the burning of fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal, sales of which generate huge profits for the world's energy giants.
    MPs from the Green-Left Alliance (AVS) staged a flash-mob protest outside the premier's office at Palazzo Chigi on Wednesday, saying the government has got its priorities wrong.
    "We are in front of Palazzo Chigi to remind (Premier) Giorgia Meloni that the climate crisis is not an ideological issue, it is not a whim, unfortunately, it is a dramatic reality," said Angelo Bonelli of the Green Europe party.
    "In Sicily, drought is desertifying agricultural fields, farmers are uprooting vineyards and slaughtering animals because there is no water: it's a dramatic situation.
    "Why doesn't the government intervene? They decided to quickly build the Bridge over the Strait of Messina but they forgot what the country's real problems are, starting with the climate crisis and drought.
    "We ask Giorgia Meloni for a meeting to talk about our proposals to counter their silence and inertia". (ANSA).