Poor drainage and disaster in Brazil

The plane accident in Congonhas (São Paulo) with 200 casualties is more than an isolated disaster. It represents a growing crisis of confidence with engineering and logistical consequences.

It was reported that the jet began to slip due to heavy rain and poor drainage conditions. Although maintenance works -including laying a new surface- had been carried out recently, the drainage system was not significantly updated.

The congestion of airport traffic and the accommodation of very large planes were solved by paving new surfaces but the matter of airport drainage has not received the due attention. It is an urgent necessity to upgrade old culverts and build new storm sewers in our airports.

Pic: Congestion in Congonhas, 1996