The French project of 1.4 milliards of euro visant to rendre the Seine suffisamment saine for accuellir des épreuves de natation aux Jeux Olympiques (JO) he has encore à de gros obstacles et à de nombreux doutes, 15 mois seulement avant le début de The competition.
One of the arguments made by the city of Paris to Olympic officials was that the Seine would be the site of the opening ceremony and the site of events such as the swimming portion of the triathlon. However, swimming in the Seine has been banned since 1923 due to the presence of high levels of minerals and fecal bacteria.
The part of the city crossed by the Seine suffers from dilapidated housing and offices, which leads to sewage leakage. In heavy rain, dirt from the streets flows straight into the river. Then there are many boats that use the river and dump sewage directly into it.
As he pointed out recently The New York TimesSolving these problems requires massive infrastructure projects to create a more robust sewage and runoff system. However, you also have to go door to door and convince thousands of owners to let the teams clean their pipes. Even with offers of government support, this proposition isn’t an easy sell.
“It’s difficult,” he said. Claire Costellone of the project managers, V.I times. We cannot force them to open their doors. »
Pollution problems extend beyond city limits, with factories and other industrial sites contributing to pollution. In 2019, the authorities sounded the alarm about a fire at a factory in Rouen that led to the risk of toxic chemicals being spilled into the Seine River. The following year, a cement factory was accused of dumping hazardous waste into the river.
Even if the authorities can reduce pollution to acceptable levels, they know that heavy rains during the Olympics could negate these efforts. Such weather conditions can cause other problems. In recent years, the Seine has experienced severe flooding, with water levels threatening to overflow its banks.
Despite these risks, the program is seen by Parisian authorities as an important investment in the city’s post-Olympic transformation. the mayor of paris, Ann Hidalgohas made reducing the number of cars in the city center and improving air quality a cornerstone of its program.
While encouraging the creation of green spaces and the use of bicycles, she hopes the Seine will be open for public bathing in 2025.
according to the local, the city and region of Paris wants to build 23 sites along the Seine, including five in the city and 18 in the suburbs. These pools will be located in the river to provide protected swimming areas.
in the president’s tweet Emmanuel Macron He said that cleaning up the Seine could be one of the games most important legacies.
“Make the Seine and Marne swimmable” chirp Emmanuel Macron. This is our goal for 2024. 1.4 billion euros invested, half of which is the state. At the D-500, we are on track to realize what will be one of the greatest legacies of the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
If the French authorities have what they want, the tradition of bathing in the Seine, long a part of daily life for Parisian summer visitors, will be back on the agenda.
Translated article from the American magazine Forbes – Author: Chris O’Brien
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