A vast mountain of waste has once again formed on the outskirts of the Ciambra neighbourhood, a real ghetto on the southern outskirts of the Piangiano capital where a large community of Roma origin lives, now settled. An expanse of bags full of rubbish, black bags, mattresses, discarded furniture and waste of all kinds occupy the area close to the road, giving an image of degradation which, at least at first glance, i.e. at the entrance to the Aterp block, seemed to belong to the past. Right here, in recent years, during the final stages of the Alessio administration, extraordinary reclamation interventions had been carried out, with a significant use of public resources (around 500 thousand euros). The operations had restored partial decorum to the road that runs alongside the neighborhood and sparked hopes of more effective and long-lasting management. Today, however, that result appears compromised. The question that arises is inevitable: what use were the reclamations if we cannot prevent the phenomenon from recurring? Numerous families and many children live in the Ciambra neighborhood. A school bus stop has been installed near the area where the pile of waste has reformed: every morning students and parents find themselves just a few meters from that waste expanse. In the afternoon hours, the little ones play nearby. A context that raises concerns not only for urban decorum, but above all for public health.
The area had been equipped with video surveillance cameras
The uncontrolled accumulation of waste in fact notoriously entails concrete health and hygiene risks, with the proliferation of insects and rodents, as well as unpleasant and potentially harmful fumes. In a neighborhood where many minors live, the lack of constant supervision appears even more serious. The area had been equipped with video surveillance cameras, installed with the aim of combating illegal abandonment and powered by solar panels. Tools that should have acted as a deterrent and allowed those responsible to be identified. But the repetition of the phenomenon fuels doubts about the actual functionality and concrete use of these systems: are the controls active? Were there high sanctions? What results did the announced inspections produce? La Ciambra, historically inhabited by sedentary Roma families, has been and is at the center of inclusion and redevelopment projects. However, the recurrence of the waste emergency risks frustrating the efforts made and fueling discontent. The feeling is that we continue to intervene in an episodic manner, without a plan that combines control, prevention and active involvement of residents. And the one who pays, once again, is the entire city, starting with the most vulnerable citizens.