Mazatlán, Sin.- During the last three weeks the Olas Altas beach has been heavily contaminated by a drainage landfill that reaches directly to the sea without the authorities do something about it.
This area was newsletter by Federal Commission for the Protection against Health Risksafter the sampling of Clean beaches that was carried out in the month of December showed that it was not suitable for recreational use due to high pollution rates by fecal bacteria.
He December 17the Cofepris conducted the study and the area was closed to the public; However the December 23th the Sinaloa Health Secretariat reported that all Mazatlan beaches were suitable for public enjoyment, after reinforcing safety measures prevention and monitoring of the water quality.
Through a statement, it was announced that Water samples taken on December 15, 18 and 19 gave favorable results for recreational useaccording to current health standards in Sinaloa. These actions were coordinated by the Mazatlán City Council, through Jumapam.
“According to the new results obtained from the A study of water sampling taken from Mazatlan beaches on December 15, 18 and 19 showed that the sampled area is suitable for public enjoyment“, leaving the decision or initiative to reopen the beach to the beach committee.”it was reported in the statement.
The beach was reopened and apparently things went back to normal, but only in appearance, since the spills of Blackwater continues due to failures in the Roosevelt collector. In the last three weeks, at least three times the drainage has reached the sea, in a serious act of pollution that has been ignored by authorities.
The director of Public Works of Mazatlán, Rigoberto Aramburo Bojorquezattributes the crisis to a combination of factors, including blockages in the drainage system caused by the buildup of fats from restaurants in the area.
“He topic, as mentioned, is multifactorialhave been detected in Paseo Olas Altas collapses As a result of blockages in the network due to grease that restaurants in the area put into the pipes, tours have already been made with Jumapam to give maintenance due to network“he explained.
It specifies that the situation is worsening due to the uncontrolled real estate development that is held in the surroundings of Olas Altas.
“It’s part of everything, the drainage that is already very oldthe grease from the restaurants, as I already mentioned and the building construction, It’s part of what has us in this problematic“, he added.
For him environmentalist Ángel García Contreras this situation not only affects public healthbut also tourism and marine life.
“In the short term it gives bad imageIn the medium term just be prepared to see tourism low profile and long term can be a deadly factor for the marine life of the area, as happened a little over a year ago in the Estero del Yugo, we are at the edge of collapse“, he emphasized.
The closure of The El Crestón wastewater treatment plant in 2023 has aggravated the problema, leaving the coastal zone vulnerable to pollution and putting the Mazatlán’s tourist reputation, according to the environmentalist.
“That plant treated 600 liters per second, got worse when he retired, it greatly affects the tourist demand, the bad image, the dumping of wastewater corresponds to Conagua, we are seeing the paralysis of those federal agencies, “There is nothing to contain it or sanction that action.”, lament.
The problem is serious, the beach pollution could drive away tourism and seriously damage the image that Mazatlán currently haswhich has become one of the most visited tourist destinations in the country.
“Mazatlan could run a serious risk if things continue like this, since it will be difficult for the city to attract older people in this situation purchasing power that causes a greater economic impact on the port“he pointed out.
The drainage situation in Mazatlán is out of control, so that in Cofepris has been sampling Clean Beaches for 20 years, never A Mazatlan beach had been closed to the public due to pollution.
Originally published in The Sun of Mazatlán