Taranto farmers demand action as weekend water flow is cut by 300 L/s

From Friday evening to Sunday morning, water flow to the Taranto agricultural area was reduced by more than 300 litres per second, dropping from 1300 L/s to 1000 L/s before being restored on Monday. The reduction, occurring during peak summer temperatures, has left irrigation channels dry and threatened crops, especially in villages such as Palagianello.

The farmers’ association Cia Due Mari, led by President Giannicola D’Amico, sent a formal note to Puglia Regional President Antonio Decaro and Agriculture Assessor Francesco Paolicelli demanding urgent intervention. The dispute centres on the San Giuliano dam, a shared infrastructure jointly owned (50 % each) by the Basilicata region and the former Stornara‑Tara consortium of the Province of Taranto. Cia Due Mari accuses the Basilicata side of unilateral decisions that disregard the legal co‑ownership.

Director Vito Rubino warned that “subtracting 300 litres per second over the weekend, with the scorching summer heat, means drying the canals and leaving whole territories arid.” The organisation is pressing for a bilateral technical table to resolve the water‑distribution conflict.