More than 60 neighbors joined the awareness campaign at Caño Beach in Necochea, addressing critical issues such as bacteriological contamination, sewage effluents, dune erosion, and the lack of compliance with current regulations.
The activity stood out for the community’s commitment, while councilors made evident their scant interest in a problem that affects public health and the local environment.
On Sunday, January 26, within the framework of World Environmental Education Day, Compromiso Costero organized an awareness campaign on Necochea Beach, focusing especially on the environmental issues affecting the Caño area, marked by bacteriological contamination.
Despite inviting the 20 district councilors, only one councilor attended the event, highlighting the lack of interest from local lawmakers.
Health Risks and Precautions
With a large participation of over 60 people, Necochea residents, tourists, and locals joined the walk with the aim of highlighting the danger posed by high levels of bacteria in the water in the area.
During the walk, discussions took place regarding the health risks of bathing in an area not designated for swimming.
“Out of all the councilors we invited, all 20 of them, Julián Kristiansen, who is the president of the Environment Committee of the HCD, attended. He listened attentively to Compromiso Costero’s account, took copies of the analyses showing the data of microbiological and bacteriological contamination with very high numbers, and stated that he will use them in the next meeting of the environment committee, which will be this Wednesday at 10 a.m. at the Deliberative Council,” said Nerio Bognanni, environmental technician and member of Compromiso Costero.
Positive Outcome of the Activity
Despite the limited participation of councilors, the outcome of the activity was positive, with nearly 60 people joining the initiative to raise awareness about beach pollution. “We were very pleased because nearly 60 people, including locals, tourists, and Necochea residents, joined the initiative,” Bognanni commented.
“Many were already aware of the issue, but remarkably stayed in the area, knowing the risk. In other cases, participants took precautions and made sure that children did not approach the contaminated water. It was evident that many people had been informed through media outlets like NdeN about the sewage drainage affecting Caño,” Bognanni highlighted.
Affected Witnesses’ Testimonies
During the walk, conversations were held with several tourists, some of whom claimed to have suffered from gastrointestinal infections after contact with the beach waters.
“We talked to tourists camping at Camping Miguel Lillo, who stated that several residents staying there were intoxicated but didn’t know why. Through this conversation, some began to understand that perhaps the water flowing from El Caño reaches the camping beach, as it goes in that direction, and could have been the cause of the intoxication,” Bognanni recounted.
“There were many tourists completely unaware of this issue,” added the environmental technician.
Solution Proposals and Urgent Measures
The Compromiso Costero group emphasized the urgent need to implement protective measures in the area, such as:
- Restricting access to the area and installing appropriate signage warning about health risks.
- Strengthening the authority of lifeguards to prevent children from playing in contaminated water.
- Identifying clandestine connections of sewage effluents to the stormwater collector that reaches El Caño, as strong sewage odors from the storm drains in nearby neighborhoods indicate many homes are clandestinely connected.
“It’s essential for coastal concessions to comply with current regulations, frontal dunes must be preserved, and the stairs must be appropriate, all within the framework of Ordinance 7108/10, which establishes the Comprehensive Coastal Plan that is not being adhered to. We need municipal oversight to ensure compliance with regulations,” Bognanni concluded.
Commitment to Environmental Education
The event ended with a photo report denouncing the situation and a reaffirmation of Compromiso Costero’s commitment to environmental education and the protection of Necochea’s coast.
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