Lake Garda Governance: Calls for Regional Control and Water Level Regulation
The health of the lake at the center of two written questions submitted in recent days by Umberto Chincarini. The first was addressed to the President of the Council and the Minister for Institutional Reforms, to whom the parliamentarian asks: «Do you not consider transferring to the Regions of Veneto, Lombardy, and the Autonomous Province of Trento the full and exclusive competence over the waters of Lake Garda and its shores», assigning to these entities «adequate financial resources»?
«The goal», explains Chincarini, «is to put an end to the outdated and disturbing shuffling of duties and competences that has, in the opinion of the questioner, characterized the protection and care of the largest and most beautiful lake in Europe so far».
Regulation of Lake Garda’s water levels
The second question, also in writing, was addressed to the ministers of Public Works, Environment, and Regional Affairs: Chincarini summarized the history of the water levels of Lake Garda and its regulation, which has never been established by the Ministry of Public Works, which in 1957 delegated this task to a dedicated commission.
The parliamentarian recalls how «in recent years, the regulation of Lake Garda’s water levels has been the subject of numerous controversies, debates, conferences, and parliamentary questions authored by myself», which culminated on June 14 and 15 in «two meetings held at the Ecology Department of the Province of Verona and the Verona Prefecture, confirming the embarrassing institutional vacuum on this matter».
«In the ministerial decree 10597 of 18.06.57», emphasizes Chincarini, «it was written that the commission is obviously temporary and that a body, with appropriate legal status, will succeed it, and will permanently regulate Lake Garda and maintain the related infrastructure…».
Chincarini then asks, «how and when the implementation of ministerial decree 10.597 of 18.06.57 will take place; how and when the considerations of the Mantova water magistrate regarding the opening and closing operations of the Salionze hydraulic dam have been taken into account from 1996 to today».
The parliamentarian concludes by asking, «whether they do not consider immediately re nominating the commission for the exercise of the regulation of Lake Garda’s water levels, replacing the representatives of the abolished entities with those of the provinces of Brescia, Mantova, and Verona, including the mayors of Sirmione, Riva del Garda, and Peschiera, as well as the presidents of the regions of Veneto and Lombardy, and allocating modest but concrete financial resources for its funding».