Bright Red Canal in Buenos Aires Raises Environmental Concerns

A canal in a suburb of Buenos Aires displayed an alarming bright red hue on Thursday, alarming local inhabitants and prompting investigations by authorities. As the unusual color of the Sarandí canal flowed towards the Rio de la Plata, satellite images captured the stark change. Initial local media reports attributed this phenomenon to potential illicit discharges of textile dye or chemical waste from a nearby industrial depot. In response, the Environment Ministry announced that it would analyze water samples from the canal to identify the cause of the discoloration. Reports indicated that by late afternoon, the water had started to lose some of its crimson intensity.

Residents in the area, which hosts a mix of textile and leather processing factories about 10 kilometers from Buenos Aires' city center, expressed concerns regarding the safety of the canal's water. One resident, Silvia, recounted previous experiences with the water’s color, sharing that it had turned yellow with a noxious smell that made it difficult to breathe. Another member of the community, Maria Ducomls, corroborated these claims, noting that local industries frequently discharge waste into the waterway, resulting in various colors over time, including blue and green hues with greasy residues. The community is now left questioning local industrial pollution practices and their impacts on health and the environment.