An attempt at pollution of the Manzores stream in Concordia, Entre Ríos, mobilized the authorities last Friday.
This involved a 33-year-old man who was detained while attempting to dispose of toxic lubricants in the body of water.
The operation was triggered thanks to the alert from neighbors, who noticed a suspicious maneuver on the pedestrian bridge.
The neighbors’ alert, key to stopping the stream’s pollution
According to Concordia Policiales, personnel from the Third Police Station intervened on Liniers Street, between the pedestrian passage and Maipú Avenue.
The officers, led by Commissioner Eduardo Gamarra, responded after multiple calls from neighbors.
Upon arriving at the scene, the police confirmed the presence of a Paraguayan national on the pedestrian path.
The individual was operating a forklift with two 200-liter containers of lubricants.
Initial investigations indicated that he intended to dispose of the lubricant residues to later load clean sand extracted from the stream’s edge.
The photographic record established that the subject entered with the vehicle into a non-authorized area for traffic.
To gain access, he removed two wooden bollards from the Parks and Gardens area that prevented vehicular passage.
“The police commission arrives at this place thanks to the neighbors’ call who warned of the entry of a large vehicle into an unauthorized area,” explained Commissioner Eduardo Gamarra to Concordia Policiales.
The official added that “these neighbors suspected the possible commission of an environmental crime, that is, dumping some prohibited fluid or substance into the Manzores stream.”
Once at the scene, the Scientific Police Division documented the scene and confirmed fluid residues on the ground.
Prosecutor Julia Rivoira ordered the arrest of the driver and the seizure of the forklift along with the two containers.
Gamarra noted that “he was detained for the crime of damage in flagrante delicto, initially for having removed two bollards from the public road.”
The detainee stated that he was sent by his employer to collect sand from the stream’s course.
Subsequently, the owners of a sawmill located on Liniers Street appeared at the scene, identified as those who allegedly ordered the maneuver.
Pollution in Concordia: the organizations involved in the operation
Involved in the procedure:
- Personnel from the Third Police Station
- Scientific Police Division
- Municipal Traffic Directorate
- Inspector from the Environmental Sanitation area
Commissioner Gamarra highlighted that neighbors in the area warned that “on several previous occasions, different vehicles make this entry, either to dump fluids or to collect sand.”
However, “either situation is prohibited,” clarified the officer.
The pollution in Concordia remains a concern for the inhabitants of the Manzores stream area.
This case highlights the importance of citizen participation in preventing environmental crimes.
Authorities continue to investigate whether the dumping of contaminating substances into the watercourse actually occurred, while the detainee faces charges for damage to public property.
