“In a few weeks, the River Seine will fill up here. “If we bring waste water from the River Seine here, we can control water quality better.”
The large water tank ‘Basn Austerlitz’ in eastern Paris, France, on the 25th (local time), about three months before the Paris Olympics, which open on July 26. Here, where the final construction work is in full swing , the Construction Manager of the City of Paris, Samuel Colin Canivez, said this.
After entering the temporary building next to the Austerlitz subway station and descending the dozens of floors of spiral stairs to the basement, a vast tank appeared. It can hold 50,000 ㎥ of water, which is the size of 20 Olympic swimming stadiums combined. A circular tunnel with a diameter of 2.5 m was drilled into the wall. The end of this 620m long tunnel reaches the River Seine.
The city of Paris revealed the inside of the first water tank to foreign reporters, including the Dong-A Ilbo, before the completion ceremony on the 2nd of next month. Although the Paris Olympic Organizing Committee is planning the first ‘Seine River Swimming Race’ in 100 years, concerns are growing about ‘how to swim in polluted water.’
● Organizing Committee: “Water quality improves in the summer, making competition possible.”
The River Seine in Paris is known as a romantic space because of Pont Neuf Bridge, which was the backdrop for the film ‘The Lovers of Pont Neuf,’ but there are times when you have to cover your nose when walking on along the river bank. . Homeless people often encounter traces and smells of urination. Recently, a video of a man washing a large tray, apparently used in a restaurant, directly on the river bank with river water went viral on social media. In fact, swimming in the River Seine has been banned since 1923 due to water pollution caused by industrialization.
However, the organizing committee decided to hold Olympic and Paralympic triathlon swimming events and open water swimming, also known as ‘swimming marathons’, in the section between Pont Alexandre III and Pont Alma on the River Seine. For the first time in 100 years, swimming in the River Seine is officially possible. Concerns have begun that swimming in the River Seine, which was promoted as the best ‘box office card’, could become an ‘Olympic risk’. Coincidentally, the Surfrider Foundation, a non-governmental organization (NGO), announced on the 8th, “As a result of measuring the water of the Seine River, the levels were often twice and sometimes three times higher than the maximum allowable level (standard bacterial ).”
However, the organizing committee is determined to go ahead. Inside the water tank on this day, the Deputy Mayor of Paris Pierre Labardin emphasized, “There are always concerns when carrying out any project,” and he added, “We are confident that we can run swimming competitions well because we have improved the quality the water over the last eight years.” He added, “It’s hard to get good results in the winter when the civic group surveys are held,” and added, “In the summer, when the games are actually held, the water quality is generally good, so we’re not worried. .”
Local governments around the Seine River, including the French government and the city of Paris, have invested 1.4 billion euros (about 6.243 trillion won) to improve the water quality of the Seine River for over eight years. This tank, which is the core of the water quality improvement works, is due to hold a completion ceremony on the 2nd of next month after around four years of construction and be put into operation in the middle of the year.
● “Swimming on the River Seine, a success card for the Paris Olympics”
The organizing committee’s strategy is to soon publish the results of a survey proving that the water quality of the River Seine is safe, and to address concerns directly by revealing repeated images of celebrities swimming. Even President Emmanuel Macron and International Olympic Committee (IOC) Chairman Thomas Bach announced their participation.
It seems that the reason the organizing committee insist on holding the ‘Seine River Swimming Race’ is because they are using it as a box office success for the Olympics. The Washington Post (WP) explained the background to the Seine River Swimming Competition, saying, “Due to declining TV ratings and less interest in the Olympics, France and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) need an innovative Olympic Games.
For the same reason, the French government is also preparing an ‘outdoor opening ceremony’ on the River Seine for the first time in the modern Olympics. As the threat of terrorism has increased recently, President Macron suggested the possibility of moving the opening ceremony indoors, but Chairman Bach said on the 27th, “A symbolic opening ceremony on the River Seine will provide unforgettable memories for the athletes and will everyone is. is safe.” he emphasized.
Paris = Correspondent Jo Eun-ah achim@donga.com
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