Mendoza's Sergio Marinelli Flags Pollution in Pescara Canal

Sergio Marinelli, superintendent of the provincial Irrigación authority, warned that industrial discharges in the Pescara canal are limited to specific sites, but trash and waste are permanent and spread throughout Mendoza’s irrigation network. About 70 companies are connected to the open‑air Pescara canal, which runs through the industrial belt of the province’s northern oasis, and they are required to operate their own treatment plants.

Irrigación has imposed fines and ordered closures of several violators, including the San Javier meat‑processing plant, a paper mill and a warehouse, and continues regular inspections. Marinelli said the accumulated debris can be carried by rains into secondary channels, reaching agricultural lands and potentially contaminating produce. The agency plans to restart a joint awareness campaign with local municipalities to discourage dumping waste into the irrigation system.