Portugal has implemented a ban on beaches in Porto due to pollutants spilled in the water. Pastoras Beach, which is placed adjacent to Passeio Alegre Garden has a big red flag flying on the shore.
Red Flag On Pastoras Beach
When a red flag is flagged on a beach, it means the government has imposed a ban on swimming or even entering the beach. This decision has been taken because of the polluting materials that entered the Granja stream. These pollutants were emitted from the fire that occurred in Nors Group. Maritime authorities have taken this measure as a precaution to avoid any intoxication for citizens.
The local commander for the Douro and Leixões Maritime Police and the caption of the port, Lusa has stated:
Part of the pollutant discharge managed to escape.
These pollutants managed to pass the contamination barriers, and this caused some of them to slip into the sea. The pollutants may pass through the sea, and this will cause contamination. The captain has informed us that the tide is moving towards the south direction. This will cause the pollutants to land at the beaches in the south of Porto. The pollutants might appear in the Vila Nova de Gaia area.
Ban On Swimming In South Porto
The authorities have stated that swimmers are prohibited from going to the beach. Further, they have stated that swimmers might underestimate the effect of these toxicants and they are unaware of these pollutants. A ban on both fishing and swimming is currently imposed between the area of the cement pier and the mouth of Douro. The captain further stated:
A notice was published prohibiting swimming and recreational fishing along the entire stretch, from the cement pier to the mouth of the Douro River as a precaution. Local and regional authorities with responsibilities in these areas are taking all necessary measures to restore the normal use of bathing waters on the affected beaches as quickly as possible
The water cleaning process has been started on the beach where the captain is carefully foreseeing the project very closely. The total area of the ban is around 2.7 Kilometers. This ban will be lifted when the quality of water returns to normal.
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