He Movement No to the Project in Punta Ballena presented more than 12,418 signatures against the initiative that aims to build 29 buildings in the spa and one of the most famous natural spaces in Uruguay. The objective is for the government to declare the zone of Maldonado as Protected Natural Area so that the real estate project cannot advance.
From the moment of its announcement, the project in Punta Ballena aroused the opposition of many people, to the point that by November of last year, the Ministry of Environment had already received almost 11,000 comments on the initiative, almost ten times more than what was received on UPM.
Now, days before a Public audience In this regard, the Movement No to the Project in Punta Ballena presented in Executive Tower a total of 12,418 signatures in support of the request that the area in question be declared a Protected Natural Area. This would prevent the government from authorizing the construction of a residential complex with 29 buildings on the site, something that, according to opponents, would generate a serious environmental, social and patrimonial impact.
“It is a unique point in terms of biodiversity vegetable, there are several unique spices in Punta Ballena, others that are to be preserved. We are also talking about a very important geological site, even at an educational and scientific level. And on a social level, it is a representative point for Uruguayans, icons of the Natural Uruguay”, he claimed Cecilia Alamón, part of the movement that opposes the real estate initiative that even garnered the rejection of the mayor of Maldonado, Enrique Antía.
The government points out that the land is private, so the project can be evaluated and, eventually, approved according to the environmental impact report. In any case, the portfolio chaired by Robert Bouvier called a Public Hearing for next Monday the 29th at 6 p.m., in the Panoramic Room of the Hotel del Lago.
The experts’ warning
In early April, a group of experts from Eastern Regional University Center (CURE) and of the Agronomy faculty published a report on the biological and geological importance of Punta Ballena, and pointed out the possible consequences that the Real estate project in the natural area.
“The site forms a unique coastal landscape in the country, characterized by its rocky cliff, southern end of the Whale Saw Shearoriginated 530 million years ago”, highlights the study published by the specialized digital magazine, Atmosphere; and adds that Punta Ballena has a good state of conservation, a high diversity of species of terrestrial and marine flora and fauna, as well as cultural factors linked to prehistoric, historical and current uses “that society considers of vital importance.”
According to specialists, the effects on the landscape They will be irreversible since the attributes that define it will be modified: “its geomorphology and link with the sea, its vegetation and current public use, which make it a national and international landscape icon.”
Furthermore, they establish that the scope of evaluation by the government for possible impacts is limited only to the locality and that “the effects completely transcend that scale.”Punta Ballena It is part of a territory where there are historical and cultural processes linked to tourism development that are more than a hundred years old, and is currently part of one of the most visited tourist destinations in season, such as Punta del Este“, recalls the report.
In that sense, the study highlights that “the quality of the tourist experience of visitors will be negatively affected” and remembers that the project is highly criticized by the community.
Source: Ambito
