Niscemi authorities deploy tarp to cover 60-meter fissure

Authorities in Niscemi have deployed a large waterproof tarp to cover a 60-meter fissure located behind the San Giuseppe school complex. The emergency measure aims to prevent rainwater from infiltrating the ground, which could increase internal pressure and destabilize an area already affected by landslides.

Niscemi Mayor Massimiliano Conti described the intervention as a temporary solution suggested by Professor Nicola Casagli of the University of Florence, an expert in geological and hydrogeological risks, in collaboration with civil protection services. The goal is to stop water from entering the cracks and weighing down the soil, which could trigger further structural failures or ground movements.

A report from the University of Florence dated September 17 highlighted the growing criticality of the new fissures near the school. Experts warned that water from both direct rainfall and runoff from higher slopes could penetrate the discontinuities in the landslide body, necessitating rapid preventative action.