Critics of the project, which should be completed by 2010, are concerned about its environmental impact; In contrast, the residents of Venice fear that it is not enough
Sophie Ari, Guardian
Direct link to this page: https://www.hayadan.org.il/venice160503.hml
The Prime Minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, on Tuesday gave his blessing to the construction of an underwater project, the purpose of which is to slow down the sea in order to save Venice from drowning. The "Moses" project, with a budget of billions of euros, will include suspended barriers that will be erected on the seabed near the coast of Venice; As the high tide waves approach the shore, the barriers will be raised to stop them.
At the launch ceremony of the project - which should be completed by - 2010, Berlusconi attached parchment paper to the symbolic "cornerstone" of the underwater system, to mark the start of construction. "Venice is a magnificent city, the pride of Italy," he said, "today we gathered here on the occasion of a historic day, to mark the beginning of the defense operation that Venice has been waiting for for 37 years."
The tidal barriers, which cost 3.5 billion euros, will consist of 79 steel walls 20 meters wide and weighing 300 tons. The project is one of two ambitious plans that Berlusconi has promised to implement since he was elected two years ago. The second plan - the construction of the largest suspension bridge in the world, to connect Sicily to mainland Italy - has not yet been launched.
Dozens of demonstrators in small boats followed the official entourage gathered for the ceremony, which was held at the Morosini Military College in Venice. Environmentalists and left-wing activists are protesting the project, arguing that preventing tidal waves from flowing into Venice's lagoon could create a "closed circle" of stagnant water. Critics also claimed that the project was launched without adequate research into the expected environmental impact.
But the residents of Venice for the most part do not oppose the project. On the contrary - they fear that it will not be enough to save their city from disappearing. Indeed, Berlusconi declared: "We are absolutely aware that many more intervention steps will be necessary in Venice."
The city is in danger not only from the flooding of the tidal waves - in the worst flooding, in 1966, mud was thrown on works of art and buildings in the city - but also due to subsidence of the seabed, at the same time as the rise in the level of the Adriatic Sea. The nearby marshes, which in the past broke the waves approaching the city, gradually disappeared, and the heavy industrial plants on the mainland contributed to the sinking of the city and increased the pollution.
Since the 18th century, the water level in the area has risen by 80 cm. Less than 100 years ago, the city was flooded only about 60 times a decade, while today St. Mark's Square - the tourist center of the city - is flooded more than 100 times a year.
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