Critical hours for one of the wonders of the western coast of Sardinia. Piscinas, renowned for being among the most beautiful beaches in the world, according to National Geographic, is in serious danger.
The coastal waters are turning red due to hazardous discharges, raising concerns among environmentalists, naturalists, and even local businesses, especially with the imminent opening of the bathing season.
Montevecchio Mine continues to pollute the sea
Despite being definitively closed in 1991, the Montevecchio mine continues to release harmful heavy metals into the sea. It is currently contaminating the waters and damaging the natural landscape, including marine life. Surprisingly, the mine sites have never been remediated, and to this day, they continue to release accumulated debris into the sea.
Even the WWF has expressed astonishment that only now, when the damage is evident and in plain sight, attention is being drawn to this issue. The Rio Irvi is the red river that flows into the sea after traversing much of the Sardinian hinterland, carrying with it the processing residues from the Montevecchio mine.
A recurring situation
Without any remediation or control measures, the river continues to be tainted by residues from past mining activities. It is estimated that these residues contaminate an area of about 50 square kilometers, also polluting the nearby Rio Irvi. Click here to see the video made by a Sardinian resident.
This is not the first time this has happened: as far back as 2016, the water had turned red, yet no sanitation measures were taken.
Although the mayor of Arbus has reassured citizens that there is no ongoing pollution, the situation seems to be much more destabilizing than usual.
There is great fear, on the eve of the tourist season, that the damage may now be irreversible, irreparably harming the local biodiversity and the typical coastal landscape.
Piscinas Beach is an exquisite rarity
Piscinas Beach holds immeasurable value. It is the towering sand dunes, reaching up to 100 meters high, that give it worldwide prestige, and these are now at risk of irreparable damage. The dunes stretch for 6 kilometers into the Sardinian hinterland, also hosting a charming juniper forest just steps away from what was, until recently, clear and crystalline water.
The situation seems to have finally attracted the appropriate media attention to address the problem: bathing seems to be safe. As the new summer season approaches, don’t miss this rare gem in the Mediterranean Sea once the issue is resolved.
Moreover, if you want to find out more about the beauty of Sardinia:
