“We did not go far from the human damage on October 17.” Two months after the historic floods which took place in Rive-de-Gier, it is time to take stock for the Metropolis and the City. For the mayor of the town, Vincent Bony, the objective is clear: we must redevelop the territory.
“We must think about redevelopment of the city, allowing the uncovering of the Gier in the city center. Because the flooding comes from the fact that the river can no longer enter under the arch, throughout the urban crossing. On 1, 2 kilometer, the Gier is covered, it is the road which runs over it And therefore, to be able to remove this cover, we must know where we will pass the traffic And as there will surely be houses to deconstruct, we must also. know where to build housing. It’s all this work of anticipation, of questions, that we must ask in order to be able to launch these studies and carry out this uncovering of the river to prevent a future flood.”
From February 2025, consultations will therefore be launched, at the same time as a call for tenders for an architectural firm. And 18 months later, decisions will be made. All this, as part of a Flood Prevention and Action Program (PAPI). In 2017, PAPI 1 was signed, between the State and Saint-Étienne Métropole. In total, 45 million euros had been released, 25 by the first signatory and 20 by the second. A plan which made it possible to initiate several phases of work.
“There were 2 construction sites in Saint-Chamond. The first in the Creux district with an operation to uncover and secure the banks, which made it possible to save part of the district from flooding. There were also the development at the entrance to Saint-Chamond, towards the fire station, which made it possible to exclude the entire fire station district and also the Quai de la Rive. And then, in 2018,. we started work at La Platière, at Grand-Croix There we saved 47 companies, which had been flooded in 2008. But this year no, so the work is working And finally, the glassworks district in Rive. -De-Gier which has been entirely developed, protected to cover the risk of flooding”, explains Luc François, co-president of the river committee.
Too little risk culture
This first program will therefore end within a few months. The second should therefore take over to continue the work carried out.
The vice-president of the Metropolis also warns about the culture of risk, which according to him, “is not written in the DNA of citizens.
“Seeing a river flow can be very bucolic, but when it is in flood it can be very dangerous. And we saw at the Grand Cross, at the end of the school, when we were trying to bring the students to safety , people return to the scene of the flood and take selfies at the edge of the river. We also see it on social networks, on the day of October 17, many videos where people are at the edge of the river, with their feet. in the water. It’s dangerous, it’s very impressive but it can take human lives.”
