Hidden behind bushes and visible only from the water, homeless people and migrants live in unauthorised settlements on the banks of the river amid squalor.
At the very heart of the city, between the Ponte dell'Industria and the Ponte della Scienza, a group of homeless people have set up tents and tables to create makeshift homes.
Further up the river, near Piazza dell'Emporio, another settlement has been built amid mounds of rubbish.
Within the Cloaca Maxima itself, one of the world’s earliest sewage systems which continues to operate, an apartment-like dwelling has been built.
Over the past 30 years, dozens of projects regarding the Tiber have been shelved. A few days ago, the issue was brought up again by M5S representative Angelo Diario, who conveyed his view with a rhetorical question on Facebook:
“Can you even imagine that until the mid-20th century, Romans enjoyed the city's river as a place to relax and do sports in the open air?"
A project is currently underway involving various associations and spearheaded by Rome Councillor for Sports, Youth Policies and Major Events Daniele Frongia.
The plan is to rehabilitate the banks of the Tiber and use various sections of it for sporting purposes.
In January, the Lazio region announced a bidding process for a three-year contract worth 2.13 million euros for the maintenance of the stretch of river between Castel Giubileo and Tiber Island.
Six bids were received by February 28, and the regional government is currently assessing them.
The winner will have to prune the bank’s vegetation, clean the area, remove and treat solid waste and other material transported down the river during times of high water levels and remove tree trunks and branches.
Rehabilitation of the unauthorised settlements and drainage of the riverbed are not included in the contract, as they fall outside the regional authorities' remit.
With ANSA
