119 shanty towns will be removed before 2012 in Rio de Janeiro

The city of Rio de Janeiro has started the plan ‘My House, My life’ which will remove 119 favelas before 2012, due to the danger of collapse and flooding.

“The Municipal Secretary of the city has already in its possession a list of the 119 settlements, where are at least 12,196 houses, which covers about 2.34 million square meters, that will be relocated next month” reported the news agency ‘O Globo’.

Families must sign up in order to move their houses and exchange them for others of similar conditions in safe areas. It will be done by a company hired by the government.

Rio’s authorities said “no one will get money for the removed houses. Families will be enrolled in the plan or will make a purchase selecting their new property for the same price as the one they lost.”

This measure wants to avoid further tragedies like the one that happened recently, which has left nearly 100 people dead, and also aims to stop drug trafficking, providing security for tourists.