Reconquista River facts for kids
The Reconquista River (in Spanish, Río Reconquista) is a small river in the province of Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is one of the most polluted rivers in the country. Another very polluted river is the Riachuelo.
The Reconquista River is part of the larger Río de la Plata water system. It starts in Marcos Paz, Buenos Aires Province. The river then flows through 18 different towns and cities. Finally, it empties into the Luján River. The area that drains into the Reconquista River is about 1,670 square kilometers (645 square miles). Around 4 million people live in this area.
The river carries about 33 percent of all the pollution that flows into the estuary of the Río de la Plata. This pollution comes from both factories and homes. There are about 12,000 factories in the river's area. Sadly, 700 of these factories dump their waste directly into the river without any checks.
Studies have found many harmful chemicals in the river. These include nitrites, nitrates, phenols, PCBs, and heavy metals. These pollutants can cause serious health problems. People might get hepatitis, skin rashes, stomach problems, or eye infections.
Contents
A River's Story: Fighting Pollution
During the 1980s, people living near the river started to protest. They were upset because the government was not doing enough to help. In 1984, the national Senate talked about the river's problems for the first time.
Plans for Cleaning Up
In 1995, the government got a loan from the Inter-American Development Bank. This money was meant to clean up and control the Reconquista River. Building work started in 1996. A special group called UniRec was given $400 million to manage the project.
What Went Wrong?
The project was officially announced as finished in 2001. However, only the parts meant to stop flooding were built. Four planned waste treatment plants were never built. Other important sanitation systems were also not completed. There were also no rules to stop or check the waste from factories.
Martín Nunziata, who works with an environmental group, explained why the plan failed. He said it was due to problems with how things were managed. Also, factories that caused pollution put pressure on workers. They warned that if environmental rules were followed, they might have to close.
Nunziata also mentioned a conflict about a paper factory. He said that if the same strict rules were applied to factories along the Reconquista River, many would have to close. This shows how big the pollution problem is.
A Historic Bridge Lost
The Marquez Bridge was built in 1773 over the Reconquista River. It was a very old and important bridge. It was even named a National Historic Monument of Argentina. But in 1997, a company called Autopista Acceso Oeste tore it down. This happened to build a new highway.
See also
- List of rivers of Argentina
- List of destroyed heritage § Argentina
- List of National Historic Monuments of Argentina
