The Riachuelo River in Argentina is one of the most polluted rivers on the planet. The waters in the river turned brown-gray a long time ago. The unpleasant odor from the river can be smelled 700 meters around. Thousands of people live on the territory along the river banks.
The waters of the river contain high levels of arsenic, chromium, copper, zinc and lead. The pollution began in the XVI and intensified in the XIX century. Many factories were built along the river that started to dump heavy metals and acids into the water.
Environmentalists say that the river cleanup plan includes measures that will be taken during the period of five years. As directed by the court, many residents will have to be relocated from the area of the river, the waters of which are still exposed to toxic substances.
To save the river, one will need to take a lot of effort, patience and finance. Greenpeace coordinators report that it will take at least 30 years to clean the river completely. To start with, local factories will have to change their production to make it eco friendly, and divers will then do the job to clean the riverbed from tons of pollutants.
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