Scandals continue to plague the Olympics hosted by Paris, the capital of France. Triathlon training sessions planned for the second time were cancelled due to pollution in the Seine River. Recent data on pollution in the river is increasing concerns. It is reported that the bacteria level in the river has increased following the heavy rains that affected Paris last week. Rumours are spreading that authorities fear that the water and sewage networks are at risk.
MONEY WAS WASTED
While it was stated that the city’s sewerage network dates back to the 19th century, it was recently revealed that untreated wastewater was being discharged directly into the river. The Paris administration had spent 1.4 billion euros on the sewerage network before the Olympics. However, there is criticism that it is too late to solve the deep-rooted problems in the city.
THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SWIM FOR A HUNDRED YEARS
It has been impossible to swim in the Seine River for almost a century due to pollution. Although some politicians have recently set sail to show that the river is clean, famous river swimmers do not prefer Paris. Both banks of the river have been on the UNESCO heritage list since 1991. However, pollution does not leave the Seine River alone. The main cause of pollution in the Seine River is river floods. High rainfall in autumn and winter has been causing floods for a very long time, paralyzing the city’s water and sewage networks. Parisians especially cannot erase the flood of 1910 from their memories. The flood of 1910 is shown as the real beginning of the ongoing problems in the city.
THE SYSTEM COULDN’T REMOVE IT
In the 1870s, when electricity became widespread in Paris and the metro began operating, the population was rapidly increasing, and the city’s modern boulevards and underground drainage systems gave Parisians confidence. Paris, which acquired its modern appearance after the end of the Second Empire, became the favorite city of American and European writers and artists in the early 1900s. Occasional floods did not worry Parisians, and they were confident in the city’s modern infrastructure.
WATER RISES 7.5 METERS
However, in January 1910, Paris faced unprecedented flooding when the Yonne, Loing, Grand Morin and Marne rivers, swollen by incessant rainfall, poured their waters into the Seine. Newspapers of the time printed front pages with photographs of iconic landmarks of the city, such as the Gare Saint-Lazare and Boulevard Haussmann, under water. The news reported that the water in Paris rose 7.5 meters.
PARIS MUD SEAS
The next day, although the rain stopped, Paris was under a sea of mud. The images that emerged were shocking. The boulevards in the city, which were 40 kilometers long, were covered in mud. 200 thousand buildings, including government institutions, were affected by the flood, and valuable archives were swept away by the water. Newspapers reported that the material damage was 400 million gold francs. This figure is equivalent to the 1.4 million euros spent by the Paris government before the Olympics today.
‘VERY DIRTY’ REPORT
Pollution in the Seine River has been the subject of intense criticism in the French press. Some activists are also trying to draw attention to the pollution with unusual actions. The newspaper Liberation recently reported on the latest chemical measurements in the Seine River. The reports assessed the river water as “very dirty”. In a published article, the statement that river water “has already proven to be deadly” drew attention.
FECAL BACTERIA
French Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra entered the Seine River just before the start of the Olympics. However, the analysis results published in the newspapers on the same day showed that Castera had been swimming in dirty river water. The results in the news said, “The flow rate, which was 450 cubic metres the day before, has rapidly jumped to around 550 cubic metres/second, compared to the normal 100 to 150 cubic metres in the summer months. The river’s suitability for entry is being questioned due to two faecal bacteria detected in the measurements” was announced with the expressions.
The report listed the dangers in the river that led to the postponement of the games as follows: “At the sampling point at the Alexandre-III Bridge, which is the Olympic venue, between July 3 and 9, the standard was exceeded. In the event of heavy rainfall, untreated water (a mixture of rain and wastewater) could be released into the river.”
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