President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) said, this Tuesday (10), that the fires that hit Brazil are the result of criminal actions.
“This fire is criminal. These are people who are trying to set fire to destroy this country”, he stated, mentioning that on the same day fires were recorded in 45 cities in the state of São Paulo.
Lula also pointed out that 85% of the affected properties in the Pantanal are private. Which, according to him, reinforces the need for a more rigorous response to illegal fires.
“We need to be aware that we need to punish those who set fires. It is forbidden to burn at the wrong time,” she concluded.
The statements were made during a visit to municipalities in Amazonas that are suffering from the effects of drought. On the occasion, representatives of the federal government signed the notice for maintenance dredging works on the Amazon and Solimões rivers.
Within five years, R$500 million will be invested to ensure safe navigability and the flow of inputs. The works are part of federal actions in response to the worst drought faced by the Amazon in 45 years.
Of the 62 municipalities in Amazonas, 61 had federal recognition of the emergency situation due to the drought. “If we don’t come, we don’t know,” added the president.
Dredging
During the dry period, it is possible to observe the formation of beaches and the emergence of rocks in the Amazon rivers. Therefore, there is a need for dredging to remove accumulated sediments within the navigation channel and reestablish the minimum safe navigation depth, as established by the Navy.
Dredging is done at specific points, called critical steps – places where sediment has accumulated. The removed sediment is deposited at another point in the river, outside the navigation channel.
The installation of nautical signage, also provided for in the contract, is another action aimed at the safety and guidance of navigators regarding the channel that must be followed and the dangers that must be avoided.
