Yesterday a sinkhole opened in Zona 2 of Guatemala City, the result of torrential rains that saturated the land. I was in Guatemala City in 2007 and witnessed a similar sinkhole in Zona 15--that one as deep as the Statue of Liberty is tall. The one I saw was caused both by rains and a ruptured sewer main that carried soil away and began scooping out a cave that eventually collapsed, swallowing a building and three family members.
2006 was the Year of the Sinkhole. Worldwide, there was quite an epidemic. A strong case can be made that sinkholes aren’t just one of the scariest ways to get swallowed whole and lose your life but are a harbinger of a collapsing infrastructure. Think about it. Most modern infrastructure, like water and sewer pipes, was built in the boom years following World War II. Their life expectancy is about 50 years. They’re busting now.
But infrastructure is one of the most unsexy topics one could possibly imagine, which is why it’s rarely written about and is increasingly under-funded. Why build a new sewer system when you can build a Great Wall along the southern US border?
Perhaps epic sinkholes will focus our collective mind, and encourage some proactive infrastructure upgrades. For a month before the sinkhole in Zona 15 opened up, neighbors heard noises and felt tremors. Just saying.
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