One of the greatest symbols of Rio de Janeiro, the Guanabara Bay is also one of the main portraits of neglect with the environment.
According to a survey carried out by the Brazilian Association of Public Cleaning and Special Waste Companies (Abrelpe), 98 tons of garbage are dumped in Guanabara Bay every day.
At least eight municipalities in the metropolitan region, including the capital, irregularly dump waste into the waters of the Bay.
A researcher at the Olho Verde Project, biologist Mário Moscatelli constantly flies over the region and observes that, despite the Guanabara Bay Depollution Program, which began in 1994, the Bay’s pollution has grown and the depollution strategy has not gained strength.
Another problem that has contributed to the increase in pollution, according to the researcher, is the suspension of the contract for the maintenance of 17 “eco-barriers”, which function as filters, preventing the arrival of waste in the Bay.
According to Moscatelli, the service was interrupted four months ago. In this period, it is estimated that 2,000 tons of garbage were released into ecosystems.
According to the specialist, the 17 eco-barriers retain around 500 tons of waste per month.
“Important and large rivers that flow into the Bay, such as Estrela and Guaxindiba, are being transformed or are already open sewer ditches, generating an immense impact on the Bay and its mangroves”, emphasizes the biologist.
wanted by CNN, the State Institute of the Environment (INEA), responsible for contracting the service, informed, in a note, that it “promoted an emergency contract, and that the eco-barriers are already being installed”.
Also according to INEA, five of them are ready and the others are in progress. This contract also includes the floating garbage of the structures.
zero eviction
The Águas do Rio concessionaire – one of the companies that took over the basic sanitation service, with the auction of the State Water and Sewerage Company of Rio de Janeiro (Cedae) – has until 2023 to comply with the agreements stipulated in the contract, including the zero dumping of raw sewage in 143 rivers and streams, in addition to the storm sewers that flow into the Bay.
For this, the company will build a sewage collection system at least 30 kilometers long, which will act as a “protection belt” around the bay.
The investment, according to Águas do Rio, in this first stage, will be R$ 2.7 billion.
The company that took over the service last year also claims that by the 12th year of the contract it will have to invest 19 billion to complete all sewage collection and treatment. The amount of R$ 19 billion refers to the entire concession area, which goes beyond the impact on Guanabara Bay.
“Without an ecologically balanced environment there is no life. We depend on it for the air we breathe, the walk on the beach, our leisure and even the water we drink. Before any other public policy, the environmental agenda should come first”, defends the environmental lawyer and professor of the environment, Glaucia Brenny.
*With information from Beatriz Puente
Source: CNN Brasil
