In a unanimous verdict the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Italy had violated Article 2 -- the right to life -- of the European Convention on Human Rights that the court enforces.

It gave Rome two years to draw up a "comprehensive strategy" to deal with the situation in an area where almost three million people live and which has seen increased rates of cancer.

The court found "that the Italian State had failed to deal with such a serious situation with the diligence and expedition required -- despite having known about the problem for many years -- specifically in assessing the problem, preventing its continuation, and communicating to the affected public," it said in a damning ruling.

The comprehensive strategy -- demanded by the court in its capacity to enforce judgements -- should see the setting up of an independent monitoring mechanism and establishment of a public information platform, it said.

For decades, industrial waste -- often from northern Italy -- was burned in the open air in this vast area, which has been dubbed the "Triangle of Death".

Instead of paying exorbitant sums to have it disposed of legally, companies paid the Camorra mafia a fraction of the cost to dump it in fields, wells and lakes.

The court said the case was brought by 41 Italian nationals, who live in Caserta or Naples provinces in Campania, and five regional organisations based in Campania.

It added that during the two years Rome has to draw up its strategy, the pending 36 related applications from around 4,700 applicants on the issue will be adjourned.

The ECHR is part of the 46-member Council of Europe pan-European rights body. It enforces the European Convention on Human Rights and its rulings are legally binding and not advisory.