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Dead fish stink out Rio carnival
Dead fish float in the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon
Thousands of fish have died in a popular Rio lagoon, contaminated by waste leaking from a ruptured sewage pipe.
The smell was insufferable  |
Local resident
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Officials said the sewage leak had killed more than 30 tons of fish in the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon.
The fish began dying on Sunday, poisoned by waste leaking from a ruptured sewage line that runs under the lagoon and out to sea, said Mario Moscatelli, the lagoon's natural resources manager.
Waste from homes and business was pumped into the lagoon when the system became overloaded, he said.
Mass exodus
The lagoon stretches between the city centre and the tourist beaches of Ipanema and Leblon - an area packed with tourists during the city's carnival.
By Monday evening, the parks and waterside cafes were all but deserted - emptied by the stench of the rotting fish washed ashore.
Residents kept their windows tight shut, and motorists sped through to escape the area.
"The smell was insufferable," said Alexandre Simoes, an engineer who lives in an apartment building close to the lagoon.
Work crews said on Tuesday that it would take at least four more days to get rid of the dead fish.
Early warning
Jair Otero, director of the Urban Cleaning Operations unit, said the authorities did not heed an early warning last December.
"Four tons of dead fish were found at that time.
"It was a clear signal of an upcoming disaster but political interference prevented a quick action," he said.
City and state authorities traded blame for the environmental disaster in local media reports.
Officials later announced that the city would undertake an ambitious project to rework the poorly maintained system.
The lagoon gets its water mainly from the sea, via a mile-long canal, and is also fed by several small rivers.
The fish began dying on Sunday, poisoned by waste leaking from a ruptured sewage line that runs under the lagoon and out to sea, said Mario Moscatelli, the lagoon's natural resources manager.
Waste from homes and business was pumped into the lagoon when the system became overloaded, he said.
 A worker clears rotting fish from the lagoon
|
The lagoon stretches between the city centre and the tourist beaches of Ipanema and Leblon - an area packed with tourists during the city's carnival.
By Monday evening, the parks and waterside cafes were all but deserted - emptied by the stench of the rotting fish washed ashore.
Residents kept their windows tight shut, and motorists sped through to escape the area.
 Carnival revellers complained about the stench
|
Work crews said on Tuesday that it would take at least four more days to get rid of the dead fish.
Early warning
Jair Otero, director of the Urban Cleaning Operations unit, said the authorities did not heed an early warning last December.
 The water was full of dead fish
|
"It was a clear signal of an upcoming disaster but political interference prevented a quick action," he said.
City and state authorities traded blame for the environmental disaster in local media reports.
Officials later announced that the city would undertake an ambitious project to rework the poorly maintained system.
The lagoon gets its water mainly from the sea, via a mile-long canal, and is also fed by several small rivers.
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