France

Surfrider Foundation, a non-profit organization (NGO) based out of France, has warned the Paris Olympic 2024 organisers of poor water quality in the iconic Seine river. Notably, athletes will be required to swim in the river during Olympic and Paralympic triathlon and marathon swimming events. In less than four months, Paris will be hosting sports' biggest carnival but the report by NGO has raised a few concerns.

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Surfrider shared a post on its official Facebook page which mentioned that bacteriological pollution at Alexandre III Bridge, starting point of several water events, is above the permissible limit. The NGO also warned of various health risks posed by the pollution which includes 'common infections such as otitis and conjunctivitis to more severe infections such as staphylococcus.'

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The NGO says to have conducted testing on 14 water samples since November 2023 and claims that all the results showed non-satisfactory quality according to European Bathing Water Directive standards .

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The organisation says that the causes of pollution range from 'rainfall to malfunctions in the sewage system, including poorly connected barges and animal waste.'

The French government, however, has taken several steps to address these issues and the post by the NGO also acknowledged that and wrote: "Faced with these challenges, the City of Paris, the French State and Paris regional authorities have committed to take concrete measures, such as setting up a storm water basin at Austerlitz, connecting barges and limit impermeable surfaces."

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Apart from this, rising temperatures are also raising a lot of questions over the games. The organisers are leaving no stone unturned to make sure the athletes have a fruitful time in the village. Despite no air conditioning at the athletes' village, organisers say that they have ensured that the comfort of the athletes is met in the forthcoming mega event.

Following the Games, around 6,000 people will reside in the neighbourhood, which comprises the suburban areas of Saint Ouen, Saint Denis and L'Ile Saint Denis.