Paris 2024: French sports minister takes a dip in Seine amid controversies over river’s cleanliness
The Seine River in Paris has been a part of serious controversies lately. On June 23, the day that Mayor Anne Hidalgo and President Emmanuel Macron had planned to dive into the river, an online campaign encouraging Parisians to poop in the Seine started going viral.
Paris is preparing to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, seeking to turn the major sporting event into the greenest Games ever. The French capital will become the centre of global attention in less than a fortnight.
But everyone is not pleased. Several Parisians have expressed anger over the billions of dollars already invested in the Olympic Games, and at the same time, public transport, sanitation and other crucial public services are left to ‘decay’.
France investing over $1.55 billion to clean up Seine River
At the time of making its bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, organisers in Paris promised a pollution-free Seine River open to hosting competitions. Paris city hall official Pierre Rabadan told RFI on Friday that the river has been clean enough for most of the past 12 days.
Heavy rain usually leads to a spike in pollution levels in Seine. Paris is expected to see mostly dry conditions over the final 14 days before the start of the Games. If conditions remain favourable, the river will become the star of the opening ceremony on July 26.
French authorities have invested more than $1.55 billion to clean up the Seine River. One of the key infrastructure projects helping address the pollution problem is the Austerlitz basin – a rainwater storage basin capable of holding 20 Olympic swimming pools worth of water.
Oudea-Castera steals the thunder from Anne Hidalgo
French Sports Minister Amelie Oudea-Castera, accompanied by para-triathlete Alexis Hanquinquant (also the host nation’s flag bearer at the Paralympics opening ceremony), dived into the Seine on Saturday. The activity has been making headlines globally.
Oudea-Castera, dressed in a body suit, stole the thunder from Hidalgo. The Paris mayor had recently announced to take a dip in the river on July 17. The sports minister seized her opportunity – exclusively filmed by BFMTV channel.
Oudea-Castera’s dive less than a fortnight before the Olympic Games has raised hopes that the Seine River will be clean enough for competitors at the major sporting event. Keep an eye out as Eco Discussion delivers more updates on the Seine pollution levels.
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