Incoming mayor plans beaches on Panama coastal strip

Panama’s mayor-elect  Jose Luis Fábrega wants to wind the clock back and have a clean public beach in the middle of the capital city.

One of his principal projects, when he takes office, will be the rescue of beaches reports TVN.

“In the Cinta Costera we have a very large area, the idea is to be able to rescue and save it so that the public has a public beach. This was already done in Barcelona, Spain. You can do the project between 14 and 18 months from the moment you give the order to proceed until the time the work is completed, “said Fábrega.

The Panama Sanitation Program, which started in the bay, has been improving sanitary conditions in Panama, San Miguelito, Arraiján and La Chorrera for around 20 years, through the collection and treatment of wastewater that, together with the garbage, have polluted rivers and beaches. Recovering the water quality of rivers like the Matasnillo takes years. “In the case of what the mayor-elect proposes, we have to meet to understand the scope of the project and see how it aligns with the Sanitation Program,” said Roberto De Leon, coordinator of the sanitation project.

Between 1920 and 1940 it was common to see beaches in the area of San Felipe and Bella Vista crowded with people says Osvaldo Lezcano who shares on a website where he shares a material referring to yesterday’s Panama. “In the photographs of the late nineteenth century, early twentieth century, you can see how people went to what is now the Miramar, Bella Vista, La Exposición neighborhood. Those places were frequently full on weekends. The bay was clean, it was regular to see boat trips, especially for Zonians, “said Lezcano.