NathanWhat About The Future?
So following the discovery of such incredible stuff at the Canal Saint-Martin draining, the question of what is going to happen to it comes up. Will the canal ever be pollution free? Considering all this the authorities had decided to come up front with the answer. “If everyone mucks in and avoids throwing anything into the water,” says the deputy mayor Celia Blauel in one of the interviews she gave regarding the canal. She added these lines and sai,d “we might be able to swim in the canal in a few years.” She seems very hopeful that the canal would have a cleaner future but only if the residents and the visitors work together to avoid throwing their garbage into the canal.
A Rich History
As the canal is very old, it has gone through a lot. If it were a human being, the Canal Saint-Martin would definitely be one of the wisest human beings ever. It had been there for 200 years so obviously, it has experienced a lot. Like we have mentioned before, the canal has made a lot of changes in the history of the good health and commerce of the city of Paris.
Built By Napoleon
The canal was initially constructed based on the idea that it could bring fresh water to the city and also for tax. It ended up being very helpful in terms of both business and for the health of the people of Paris. Who initiated the construction of the canal you ask? Its construction was ordered by none other than Napoleon in 1802 to better the living condition of Paris.
An Avenue For Commerce
There were two main advantages that the canal brought about to the city of Paris. The Canal Saint-Martin was actually designed to bring fresh water to the city’s rapidly growing population. The canal was a blessing to the people of Paris as it also provided an avenue for commerce. It truly helped in upgrading the city to become what it is today. The funding for its construction was procured from tax on wine.
A Strained Canal
So as the city started to grow, the canal was put under immense strain. There was a lot of garbage thrown in it, not to mention the environmental strain it has endured all these years. Today, while still scenic, it has mostly become a watery garbage dump. The color of the water in the canal has also changed to such an extent that the bottom of the canal is no longer visible.
Last Cleaned In 2011
The canal is cleaned up in a span of 10 to 15 years. The residents gather to get rid of all the garbage and pollutants that the canal has collected throughout the years. The canal was becoming as polluted as ever as the last time it was cleaned thoroughly was back in 2001. So the authorities made a decision, that it was once again time to clean it up.