Collapse in Porto Alegre: population moves to the interior and coast while the capital of Rio Grande do Sul faces water and energy shortages | National Newspaper

Collapse in Porto Alegre: population moves to the interior and coast while the capital of Rio Grande do Sul faces water and energy shortages

In Porto Alegre, residents still face a lack of electricity and drinking water.

Porto Alegre is experiencing a collapse. The Sarandi neighborhood, in the North Zone, is flooded. The flooding of regions close to Guaíba causes the rest of the city to suffer as well. In several places, there is a lack of energy. 138 thousand people are without electricity and have little water to drink.

Taking the blue bottles to where they are needed has become a military mission. The Army’s 3rd Guards Cavalry Regiment became the operations center. Soldiers are distributing water to the capital and also to neighboring cities. Flights happen frantically. And the Army says it won’t stop.

Inside the truck, retired Daniel Petry gathered what he had in his flood-damaged apartment, in the middle of the Menino Deus neighborhood, one of the most traditional in Porto Alegre. Thirst won. He decided to leave the city.

“It turned into chaos. Sorry for the emotion. For the whole situation, very sad, very sad. It’s a pain, but for people who lost everything the pain is much greater”, he says.

Marília also goes to her family’s house, in the interior.

“It’s chaos, because there’s no water to buy either. I’m still waiting to try and rescue my cat who is in the middle of the water,” she says.

Every day, hundreds of people make the same decision: leave Porto Alegre because of the lack of water. The only exit from the city is via the ERS-118, but traffic is heavy. On Tuesday morning (7), the estimate was that 85% of the capital’s population was without water. But this Tuesday, the people of Porto Alegre had good news.

Of the five treatment plants that were closed, three returned to operation this Tuesday. Two others are still not operating, because pumps that collect water from the Guaíba are flooded. The forecast is that the supply will gradually resume within 48 hours for 1 million people, according to the city hall.

But those who have almost nothing suffer. In the water spout that comes from the fountain, today the treasure is liquid.

“Golden value. Children at home without water, that’s very sad,” says a woman.

In another line, the company that could have been selling bottles of mineral water decided to distribute solidarity.

“Very important. I have my mother who is in a wheelchair, I have my daughter and my mother-in-law who are there too. And it’s for everything’s needs, right,” says Daniel dos Santos, mineral water wholesaler.

The bottles there cost nothing.

“I’m helping a lot of people. It makes me feel like a different person”, says an emotional man.

News reporter: “What does Porto Alegre need today?”
Man: “Solidarity, water and everyone helping each other.”