Mayors Criticize Engineer Quarta Over Lake Flooding Response

The reactions of mayors to the statements of engineer Quarta

The comments made to L’Arena by engineer Quarta, from the Operational Unit of the Magistrate for Waters of Mantova, have sparked the anger of the mayors along the Venetian side of the lake.

The first citizens of Peschiera and Garda reacted immediately: one filed a report with the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the other formally requested the appointment of a joint inquiry commission involving the mayors of the flooded lakeside towns.

Accusations by the mayor of Peschiera

As L’Arena reported in recent days, the mayor of Peschiera, honorable Umberto Chincarini, voiced his opinion, stating that the Mantuan official «lies when claiming he could not increase the lake’s water outflow between late October and early November because the Po was unable to receive more».

Chincarini, who had already submitted an inquiry to the Minister of Public Works and the Environment regarding the lake emergency, has filed a report with the Prosecutor’s Office.

Accusations by the mayor of Garda

Now, the mayor of Garda, Giorgio Comencini, has also strongly criticized, writing to the Ministry of Public Works, the Prefect of Verona, the President of the Veneto Region, and the Magistrate for Waters of Venice to call for the appointment of an inquiry commission.

Comencini was particularly upset by a statement from engineer Gaetano Quarta, in which he said that «the real dangers, not just some flooded cellars, occur only when the threshold of 175 centimeters above the hydrometric zero is exceeded».

Discrepancies between authorities and the actual situation

In his letter, the Garda mayor reminds that «the lake has reached and exceeded the hydrometric level of 175 centimeters, as confirmed by a telefax from the Magistrate for Waters of the Verona Operational Unit».

There is at least a substantial discrepancy between the authorities in Verona and Mantova.

Furthermore, Comencini notes that in his letter to the Ministry, the Prefect, and the Magistrate for Waters, Engineer Quarta did not attend the meeting held on November 21 at the Prefecture of Verona and «prefers to give statements to the newspaper rather than to engage with the Prefect, regional councilors, mayors, and state officials».

For all these reasons, «there is a request for the appointment of a commission aimed at establishing individual responsibilities, open to the mayors of the municipalities affected by the emergency».

Actions on the lake level crisis

As recalled, a few days ago Comencini had already called for a response to the lake level crisis, requesting the declaration of a state of emergency.

Angelo Peretti