Cerignola secures 5.7 million euros for Lagrimaro Canal safety

The Puglia Region and the Municipality of Cerignola have signed an agreement to invest 5.7 million euros in the safety of the Lagrimaro Canal. This project aims to address a long-standing hydraulic vulnerability in the area.

The canal collects rainwater from an extensive basin, but a bottleneck occurs where it passes under a railway. During intense rainfall, this restriction causes water levels to rise upstream, creating a significant risk of overflow and flooding for surrounding agricultural lands and residential areas.

A central component of the intervention is the construction of a large laminating basin. This facility will act as a safety reservoir, temporarily collecting excess water during peak flows and releasing it more slowly once the pressure on the canal decreases. The project also includes the installation of real-time hydrometric monitoring and alarm systems, cleaning and restoration of the canal's hydraulic functionality, and the cleaning of the railway culvert. Additionally, the project incorporates environmental measures such as the renaturalization of construction areas using native vegetation.