The Culture Committee of the City Council of Rio de Janeiro carried out an inspection at Pão de Açúcar to check out a presentation of the project to install a zip line up to Morro da Urca. In all, there will be four lines that will connect the two extremes in a journey of 755 meters, reaching a speed of up to 100 kilometers per hour (km/h), in a descent lasting 55 seconds. The project foresees cuts in the rock at the top of the Sugar Loaf for the construction of a plateau. The chairman of the commission, councilor Edson Santos (PT), informed that he obtained further clarifications at the meeting and suggested to the management of the Pão de Açúcar Air Path and to the architect Guto Índio da Costa, author of the project, that a new meeting be held. “I think it’s a work that could bring benefits to the population as a whole. The concern that many have is about a possible disfigurement of the Pão de Açúcar project, as it stands today. I leave here with some positive certainties about the project. But, as a councilor, exercising a mediating role, I think it is important to open this debate to the participation of representatives of civil society”, he evaluated. According to Parque Bondinho do Pão de Açúcar, all authorizations and licenses necessary for the installation of the zip line have been granted. In addition, the park team highlighted that the technical requirements demanded by the Natural Monument of the Sugar Loaf and Urca Mountains (MoNa) and by the licensing bodies were met: National Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute (Iphan), Rio Heritage Institute of Humanity (IRPH) and the Municipal Secretariat for Economic Development, Innovation and Simplification (SMDEIS). Guidelines At the beginning of the month, Iphan informed, in a note, that it guided the company contracted for the installation of the zipline to adopt a series of procedures and solutions in order to preserve the scenic value of the hill, which justifies the listing. According to the institute, the proposed solutions were included in the approved project. There was, however, no detailing of the solutions presented. Iphan also explained that “the zipline execution services are taking place according to the approved project, as has been verified in inspections carried out by the municipality, which has adopted constant monitoring of the work”. Due to the fact that the Complexo do Pão de Açúcar has been listed by Iphan since 1973, interferences in the place also need the agency’s approval. The institute spoke about the cut in the rock at the peak of the Sugar Loaf for the implantation of a plateau. “It should be noted that, in this case, the interventions in rock, from the point of view of the national heritage, are admissible in the scale of the listed property and must be analyzed in the light of the authorized use”, he highlighted. Increased flow During the last public hearing on the subject in the Chamber of Rio, many citizens were concerned about the impacts on local traffic. Designer partner of the office that signed the zip-line project, Guto Índio da Costa said that the concerns are legitimate, but assured that the zip-line will not interfere with practically anything with regard to the movement of people in the region, landscape or noise. “It is important to remember that, contrary to what is done today, all visitors and users of the zip line will buy a ticket by appointment. Nowadays there are some peak times because visitors eventually arrive at the same times. The zipline begins with scheduled times, which will distribute the flow throughout the day and week. And this experience will be added to the user of the park itself”, he reinforced. Occupation According to Guto Índio da Costa, the project does not include expansion of the occupied area or major environmental impacts on the local vegetation. “The vegetation suppression that was carried out removed five native trees and nine exotic or invasive trees, which should have already been obligatorily removed from the park. In return, 83 native trees are being planted. This is one of the legal counterparts that were required by the city hall”, he highlighted. Criticisms At the end of the inspection, representatives of movements critical of the project spoke with the councilors of the Culture Commission. One of the members of the Movimento Pão de Açúcar sem Tirolesa, Paloma Yamagata argues that the project should have been more discussed with residents and society as a whole. “We understand that Pão de Açúcar is an area listed by Iphan, a world heritage site by Unesco, an integral conservation unit and one of the 100 most important sites in the world, elected now in 2022. modification of this heritage needs to be discussed in a broader way”, he defended. Also a resident of Urca, Rodrigo Veloso showed concern about the road impact that the project could cause. The neighborhood has only one entrance and one exit. “On weekends when the beach is full, traffic here is already very difficult and it is precisely on these days that it is assumed that there would be more visitors on the zip line. All this increase in public, more vans, more Uber, more taxis, more tourist buses, this would generate a very large road impact in an area that is already complicated, ”he said.
Agência Brasil
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