Heat emergency in Foggia, Longo and Cascarano attack the mayor: "Scorching climate in the city and freezing in the majority"

W hile temperatures are touching 42 degrees and the city continues to consistently appear among the hottest in Europe, the Foggia center-right strikes against the municipal administration led by Maria Aida Episcopo . At the center of the controversy is the total absence – according to the signatories of the statement of Fratelli d'Italia, Bruno Longo (city manager) and Daria Cascarano (city coordinator) – of public measures to counteract the effects of extreme heat, especially on the most vulnerable segments of the population.

In a joint note, the two Melonian exponents denounce not only the lack of an immediate operational plan, but also of a medium-long term strategic vision. “Foggia – they write – is among the hottest cities in Italy, with temperatures that are even 10 degrees higher than the national average for provincial capitals. Yet no response has come from the City Hall. No green plan, no active social network, no climate refuge. The air is scorching, but in the majority an icy silence reigns”.

Shortcomings on multiple fronts

In their note, Longo and Cascarano put down in black and white a series of measures that – they say – could be implemented at low cost but with great social impact: from the activation of a toll-free number for information and support, to the organization of “micro-trips” for children and the elderly, to home monitoring of lonely elderly people. And again: “Why doesn’t the Municipality of Foggia adhere to the Ministry of Health’s Warmth Plan, as many Italian cities already do?”, they ask.

There is also a reference to the General Urban Plan (PUG), defined as “an extraordinary planning tool available to the Municipality”, which according to the authors “is completely ignored by this left-wing administration, Episcopo/Galasso”. The “Green Plan”, they say, should be integrated into the PUG to mitigate the effects of climate change. But, they denounce, “not even a hint, nor a concrete initiative”.

“The Church does more than the Municipality”

Also in the crosshairs of criticism is the apparent disinterest of local institutions compared to the commitment shown by the diocese of Foggia-Bovino. “The only one to respond promptly – they write – was Monsignor Giorgio Ferretti , with the activation of the Caritas refreshment point . An initiative that has given concrete relief to many homeless people, lonely elderly people and families in difficulty. The Municipality? Absent”.

A proposal to start again

The press release ends with a constructive proposal: to entrust the competent council commission with the development of a plan to combat extreme heat. "We are ready to discuss it and support it, if the administration decides to act. Because in this city, we can't just talk about heat: we also need to take action."

In a phase in which climate emergencies are becoming a constant and not an exception, the opposition's j'accuse opens a front of heated debate on one of the most urgent issues for the future of the city.

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