Altamira, Pará – Controversy regarding construction of Belo Monte dam, on Xingu River, in Pará, is one of those discussions in which it is hard to pick a side. There are several arguments by the parties against and in favour of it, many charged with great doses of emotion. The same took place in recent debates regarding other enterprises, like the transposition of the waters of São Francisco River, in the northeast of Brazil.
Only time will tell who is right regarding the social and environmental impacts of the work, but one thing is for sure: if the project develops, Volta Grande do Xingu, between the cities of Altamira and Vitória do Xingu, will not be the same again.
The tributary of the Amazon is, in that region, one of unique beauty. Last week, ANBA travelled part of the river on an aluminium speed boat, alongside other journalists in the E.torQ Amazon Journey, a trip by car from São Paulo to Pará, sponsored by FTP, a Fiat engine factory.
Very broad even during droughts, like now, the Xingu, at Volta Grande, a large loop in the river course, includes several bayous and bathes a series of islands with untouched forests or with fishing villages and farms.
The residents of these communities, distant from urban centres, treat each other as neighbours and know what goes on with each other, as if they were in a village, even though it takes hours to travel from one to the other by boat. They all know each other.
On the route, for example, a man in goggles and with a harpoon was fishing in shallow waters. Joãozinho, the pilot of the boat, greeted the fisherman, named Jaime, and asked if his fishing was going well. Jaime came out of the water and shoed a series of pacus tied to his waist.
In this season, despite broad, the river has several shallow areas. Practically invisible sandbanks and jagged rocks are everywhere, so the pilot has to navigate cautiously, to avoid accidents. The route that takes two hours in summer can be covered in 20 minutes in the Amazon winter, the rainy season. Joãozinho drives his boat, equipped with a 115 HP Yamaha engine, through the labyrinth among the islands with no problem.
Part of the water ways and islands will be lost to the dam, as the reservoir should elevate the river to a level higher than that of winter in the area surrounding Altamira. Islands covered in vegetation will be under water, including 85% of Arapujá Island, which is across from the city pier. It is a good idea to enjoy the sights before they go.
*Translated by Mark Ament
