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2023 Report Alleges Invasion and Suppression of Vegetation Near the São Bento River Dam, Buffer Zone of the Aguaí Reserve. Registration Is Alleged to Have Been Illegally Negotiated, Cabins and Stands Without Licenses or Sewage Have Emerged, and the Municipality Is Maintaining Fines and Ongoing Legal Proceedings This Year
The São Bento River dam, in Siderópolis, supplies water to over 300,000 people in southern Santa Catarina and has become the center of an alert: about five kilometers from the reservoir, a preservation area has begun receiving constructions without environmental licenses, on land that has been identified as invaded and irregularly sold.
The complaint was formally submitted in 2023 by owner Gregório Vinicius Brighenti and reported to organizations such as Famsid, the Public Prosecutor’s Office of Santa Catarina, the Civil Police, and the Judiciary, according to the NDMais portal. What stands out is the continued existence of the properties, still standing, while the case accumulates records, fines, and promises for environmental recovery.
What Appeared on the Ground and Why This Became a Case
In the area, shanties, kiosks, and cabins were built with materials described as construction waste.
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The area has also been advertised on social media as “Montanha Serrinha Refuge,” which effectively helps maintain the circulation of people in a space identified as irregular.
The complaint mentions garbage and debris around the constructions and the suppression of vegetation very close to a watercourse.
When this happens near a dam, the debate shifts from aesthetic to sanitary because the risk does not only depend on the size of the work but on the pattern of occupation.
How the Occupation May Have Been Sustained by Illegal Sales
The version reported by the municipality indicates an illegal sale of the property registration, which would have allowed other people to begin construction.
The detail is that, even when the property “seems” to have an owner, paperwork does not resolve the conflict if the registration was negotiated outside of the law.
Gregório noted that he avoided returning to the site due to safety concerns and assessed that the constructions may have increased.
He argues that no one would have residency there and that the activity would be a bet on future profit.
This type of expectation often pushes the occupation forward because each new shack creates a feeling of an accomplished fact.
Aguaí Reserve, Atlantic Forest, and the Critical Point of Sewage
The area is described as a buffer zone of the Aguaí Environmental Reserve, with deforestation of Atlantic Forest confirmed and constructions in preservation areas without licenses.
The diagnosis includes the absence of sewage systems, a factor that increases environmental risk regardless of the size of the constructions.
The director of Famsid, Vinicius Pasquali, stated that those responsible have been penalized, both those who sold and those who bought, and that legal proceedings are underway, alongside plans for the recovery of the degraded area and demolition of constructions in areas of permanent preservation.
The demolition here is not just punishment; it is an attempt to interrupt the dynamics of occupation.
Why the Dam Is on the Radar Even with “Small Impact”
The technical assessment mentioned by the environmental engineer indicates that the direct impact on the water quality of the dam would be small, but the case serves as a warning.
The alert is not only about what has already happened but about what could happen if enforcement fails and the occupation turns into informal lots, with more deforestation, the creation of farms and ranches, and even the entry of cattle and livestock.
The logic is simple and harsh: the more people that occupy the area, the greater the pressure for roads, energy, waste disposal, and makeshift solutions.
When a dam supplies water to 300,000 people, the real risk is the sum of small irregularities becoming normalized, and normality turning into permanent damage.
Siderópolis faces a deadlock surrounding an area close to the São Bento River dam: 2023 complaint, constructions still standing, Atlantic Forest suppressed, registration in dispute, and absence of sewage in the surrounding area.
The dam appears as a red line because public supply does not combine with occupation without regulation.
I want a concrete answer, without “it depends”: if you lived a few kilometers from a dam that supplies your region, would you advocate for the immediate demolition of the illegal constructions or a regularization conditioned on environmental recovery and sewage, and why would this be acceptable for you and your family in practice?
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Uma pessoa reagiu a isso.