A garbage dump has been located for more than 10 years on 500 Bazurco Street between Consejal Settino and Andalgalá, just around the corner from Don Bosco Avenue. Residents on the block are tired of not being able to walk around or live peacefully because of the smell and its magnitude, which has been changing shape and now occupies half the street and the entire corner.
Giuliana Salmonte Siciliano
The garbage in La Matanza is a cause for concern. The streets are largely uncleaned, and in several neighborhoods, garbage is dumped on street corners. In Rafael Castillo, there is a very serious problem: the existence of a place where residents dump waste. Approximately five years ago, it tripled in size and became completely dangerous.
The problem is critical not only because it is difficult to navigate the street but also because of the amount of waste being dumped. The neighbor stated that the list is endless, ranging from tires and vehicle parts, debris, branches, dead animals, mattresses, to the very waste one collects at home on a daily basis. She also added that there are often spoiled vegetables, fruit, and meat left by vendors in these areas.
The residents of the few houses on the block could see that a wide variety of vehicles approach the dump to dump all kinds of things. Nora stated that “it’s not always cars that dump, but rather many private and high-end vehicles, mainly pickup trucks.” She also observed that many of these people are local residents; that is, they live two or three blocks away and dump their trash there.
On the other hand, the local resident expressed her pain at having to live with this problem: “It’s something that’s been imposed, and there’s no way to end it. The neighbor who lives across the street has to endure the smoke when the waste is set on fire. It’s very toxic; you can’t breathe because the smell emanating from it is that of dead animals, stagnant water on the corner, rotten vegetables and fruits—all of this makes living impossible. In addition to the flies, worms, and all kinds of bugs that arrive because of the dump.”
Now, the Municipality has filed complaints and reports from the residents of the area regarding this problem. From there, they compiled files with images and statements to try to find a viable solution to the seriousness of the issue. Subsequently, they held meetings at the San Justo headquarters, and the Undersecretary of the Environment also visited the dump to inspect its condition, but the only solution was for a bulldozer to come once a week to collect the waste and haul it away in a pan. “Garbage removal takes a maximum of 10 minutes because someone comes and throws it away again,” Nora stated.
Furthermore, due to the garbage collection method, the asphalt is completely destroyed, forming holes in which uncollected debris sinks. Rainwater and mud then accumulate and stagnate, causing dengue fever, rats, and a putrid odor. Therefore, the lack of maintenance of the spaces and streets, and the inadequate collection of waste, cause pollution.
Finally, the neighbor reaffirmed her position regarding the lack of will to solve this serious problem at 500 Bazurco Street: “There is a lack of capacity among the people who are supposed to solve it, and there is no will either, because a million things could be done, but there is a lack of empathy for the neighbors who live through all this.” However, she analyzed that the most serious flaw lies in the lack of education among the people who litter, because if those people had a little empathy, this problem would not exist.
Dog Shelter and Hiding Place for Potential Thieves
As the garbage pile already creates serious problems on Bazurco Street, about a year and a half ago, a motorhome was abandoned by a neighbor who doesn’t live on the block and promised to remove it soon. This promise was in vain, and as the months pass, the vehicle’s condition worsens.
“At first, it was in good condition, but now it has broken windows, the door is open, it’s painted on, and people are getting inside,” said Carlos, who has his shed in front of it. In this case, it’s becoming increasingly unsafe to walk near it for fear of someone coming out and committing some kind of unsafe act. Despite the fear, some find it sweet that the animals in the area are going inside to sleep more safely at night due to the cold and heat.
“We’ve already spoken to the neighbor. He promises to remove it, but he doesn’t. We called the municipal number to file a traffic report, and they told us they’d take the case, but so far they haven’t come to tow it. We don’t know what to do anymore,” the retiree concluded.
The most viral dump on TikTok
@basuralbazurco500 is the name the creators gave it. It emerged approximately four months ago when, due to the lack of response from La Matanza authorities and the attacks they receive when they ask those who dump garbage not to do so, they decided to make this a mass event and thus reach more people and the media.
“On this social network, we found a way to spread the word about this issue, and in fact, these are the videos with the most views,” Nora said when asked about this neighborhood action. The most-viewed video has around 48.5 thousand views, and the goal is for viewers to reflect on what it’s like to live next to a dump.
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