By IRNA
Rome : The Italian cabinet has been forced to convene in a bid to find a solution to the worsening rubbish crisis in Naples.
Overflowing rubbish dumps and uncollected waste have led to mountains of garbage piling up in the city. Now fed-up residents are taking to the streets:
“Let’s hope the civil battle will lead us to a victory, but not a victory of the institutions but a citizen’s victory,” said one protester.
Waste collection ground to a halt before Christmas. Subsequent efforts to burn the 110,000 tons of rubbish lying on the streets have prompted fears of a build-up of carcinogenic dioxins.
Prosecutor Raffaele Cantone said that resolving the problem means taking on the Camorra, the regional branch of the Mafia who control the entire waste disposal industry.
“The Camorra has been involved in the business of waste disposal since the 1980s, and they have allowed a huge amount of toxic waste to accumulate. The industry is hugely profitable – we’re talking about millions of euros,” he said.
At least three people were taken to hospital yesterday when police were sent in to re-open an overflowing landfill site in the suburb of Pianura to cope with the excess waste.
Locals are convinced it poses a health risk and blocked the road leading to scuffles.
The EU has warned that the Naples situation represents a breach of disposal directives and says heavy financial penalties are in the offing if the crisis is not resolved quickly.