The smog alert does not cease in Rome where, on the contrary, the number of control units that indicate values higher than the law increases: on Monday there were eight out of thirteen, yesterday nine out of thirteen. The official data of ARPA Lazio also certify that some of the air quality detection stations have exceeded the fine dust threshold almost every day since the beginning of the year. A very critical situation that led the Capitol to impose stringent traffic restrictions, with the stop for all diesels in force until tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Minister of the Environment Sergio Costa, who is due to go to Milan next week due to the emergency that the Lombard capital is also experiencing, spoke on the effects of pollution, commenting on the estimate of 80-90 deaths in Italy every year: " Even a dead man is crazy, but 80-90 thousand is chilling. "
The measure adopted in Rome immediately aroused strong controversy: "The three-day stop to the circulation on the roads of Rome of all diesel vehicles is yet another short sighted act with which a local administration decides to damage motorists and companies that choose to use the latest generation Euro 6 vehicles with emissions close to zero. An act of pure ideology, devoid of scientific support ", thunders the association that represents the sector of mobility services within Confindustria. The Codacons, representing consumers, today sent a formal warning to the mayor Virginia Raggi, asking on the one hand to take measures to protect motorists involved in traffic blocks, on the other to provide evidence of the administration's activity on the fight against pollution. And the opposition in the Municipality is also felt with the Pd and FdI pointing the finger: "You cannot impose a prohibition policy without alternative measures, it is almost useless", say the dem. "The blockade of the 6 euro diesel cars by Raggi is also useless in light of the increase in the pollution values of the control units. Chaos has unnecessarily created affecting those who had invested precisely with a view to reducing pollution", adds the group leader of Fratelli d Italy Andrea De Priamo. Surely the absence of rain does not help and, pending the new moves of the Capitol, an ecological Sunday in the city with other bans is already scheduled in a few days. "The stop of these days blocks the capital and consumption and results in economic damage for the Roman SMEs. Other than fine dust ... the Rays has burned millions of euros", attacks Claudio Pica, president of Fiepet-Confesercenti. In the fight against smog, Coldiretti urges, it is necessary to encourage the spread of parks and gardens in cities capable of capturing dust and reducing the level of pollution. Not only. We need to change the habits of Italians in terms of heating and cars: "Children grow up in a country where 44% of them go to school by car", underlines Save the Children. If the Greens ask for free public transport in the cities as a transitional incentive to leave the car at home, the Minister of Health Speranza claims that long-term planning is needed, with investments in particular in the green economy.