Environmental Disaster at Lake Garda: Pollution, Flooding, and Responsibility
“It’s a disaster, a severe environmental damage to Lake Garda. I tried to sound the alarm before it was too late, but no one listened to me,”
says Rino Polloni, a Lega councilor in Desenzano. The “disaster” he refers to is a recent event. Last Friday, when the Adige was at flood stage threatening to break its banks, an underground tunnel connecting the river to the lake was opened. Five million cubic meters of icy water (typically 10 degrees colder than lake water) entered Garda. The potential consequences are serious for the climate and wildlife: increased humidity, fog, fish kills, and damage to aquatic flora. This risk prompted Polloni to go to the Police Station to file a complaint for “serious environmental damage and intentional disaster.”
Responsibility and Indifference
Specifically, Polloni blames the responsible officials from Servizio opere idrauliche of the Provincia autonoma di Trento, who allegedly authorized the opening of the Adige-Garda tunnel. However, what angered the Lega representative most was the indifference he encountered from local authorities. “Concerned about the rising level of the Adige,” explains Polloni, “I sent urgent faxes to the following authorities: on November 10 (lake level at 145 cm) to President of the Comunità del Garda, Adelio Zanelli; on November 14 (lake level at 151 cm) to the presidents of the Provincia autonoma di Trento and the Magistrato delle acque di Venezia; and on November 15 (lake level at 155 cm) to President of the Provincia di Brescia, Alberto Cavalli.”
“I asked for the convening,” Polloni continues, “of a restricted commission, since the evaluation group deciding on the tunnel opening does not include representatives from municipalities around Lake Garda. Unfortunately, no one responded to me.” The councilor insists that something could have been done, but the issue was underestimated: no one lifted a finger despite being informed of what was about to happen. The order to open the gates of the Adige-Garda tunnel, scheduled for 6:00 pm on November 17, was issued by the Servizio opere idrauliche della Provincia autonoma di Trento. Only afterwards — Polloni argues — was the information communicated to the Magistrato delle acque.
The complaint filed by the councilor calls for clarity on this matter. According to the report presented to the Police Station, which suspects crimes of intentional disaster and serious environmental damage, the core issue is this: the person who ordered the river’s water to be released into the lake apparently lacked the authority to do so. Whether or not this is the case, Italy’s largest lake was left vulnerable, with its priceless environmental heritage at stake. These are events of significant gravity: “It is essential to understand,” Polloni further explains, “that one centimeter of the Garda water level equals 3,680,000 cubic meters of water. On the day the gates were opened, the lake’s level was at 167 cm, and today it is 175 cm: millions of cubic meters of water entered from a polluted river that is about 10 degrees colder.”
This is a disaster whose consequences will be felt for years, both environmentally and ecologically. If someone had taken precautions earlier, perhaps we could have avoided this,” concludes Valentino Rodolfi.