The City government was left slightly red-faced this week, and not necessarily because of the scorching sunshine.
The supply of water to one of its urban beach installations “Buenos Aires Playa” was cut just as hundreds of families began piling into the Kids’ Park on the north shore of River Plate.
An estimated 3,000 people were left to admire the floor of the freshly-painted pool on the first day of operations at the beach, prompting frustration and a wave of satire on social media.
Even the imprisoned social activist Milagro Sala, known among other things for her social and political organisation’s construction of public pools in Jujuy, got involved in criticizsing the Rodriguez Larreta government: “Let me know if you need any advice,” she said in a tongue-in-cheek statement.
In an unfortunate case of bad timing, on a day where temperatures approached 38 degrees Celsius, the faulty pipes were only fixed after most families had already gone home, with water flickering back into the pool facilities two hours before close. Another pool at the Indoamericano Park on the southern side of the River Plate foreshore was operating as normal though.
This year marks the 10th year of Buenos Aires Playa, with the installations running until February 28. The sites are open Tuesday to Sunday and bank holidays, from 10am to 8pm.
Those who visit the beaches will find a host of activites and resources, including parasols, sun chairs and showers, waterbased games, free WiFi, inflatables, football and beach volleyball courts, live music, shows, reading areas, workshops and other attractions.
Urban recreation facilities in Buenos Aires are in huge demand over the summer months as many families are unable to afford the enormous costs of holidaying on the coast. Over the last decade, the City government has invested million of pesos in infrastructure and activities for city dwellers and residents living in Greater Buenos Aires.
For more, visit Buenos Aires Playa.
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