Italian soldiers on Monday arrived in Naples to start clearing garbage in a city infested with some 4,100 tons of waste now emitting a putrid odour following a seasonal rise in temperatures.
Last week, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi promised to send troops to ease the waste crisis in Naples after blaming local authorities for failing to resolve a problem that has plagued the city for years.
Late Sunday, area firefighters had to put out 28 blazes roaring amid the heaps of trash. Frustrated locals have previously set fire to mounds of garbage to demonstrate frustration with the recurring infestation.
Rising temperatures have dramatically worsened the stench generated by the garbage and increased potential health risks, prompting local teams to spray disinfectant around the city.
Local and national authorities have repeatedly promised to solve the problem, which recently returned with force after a lull earlier this year.
Officials insist the infestation is not caused by failures in garbage collection, but by shortage of adequate facilities for unloading and treating waste.
Berlusconi last week scolded local authorities for not yet starting a tender process to construct two new incinerators authorised by the government.
His government has also signed off on a plan to fast-track the construction of a new treatment centre.
Experts say it could take at least three years to build the facilities required to manage the waste generated in the city and surrounding areas.
Existing landfills are stuffed to capacity, and the local population has consistently opposed the expansion of open-air collection facilities.
The European Commission has threatened to level economic sanctions if the situation is not resolved.
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