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First day of special operation in Arpoador collects more than 2 tons of trash.
Published on 04/01/2026 - 14:08 | Updated on 04/01/2026 - 15:08
In a reinforced cleanup effort, Comlurb collected 2,5 tons of garbage. Photo: Rafael Catarcione - Rio City Hall On the first weekend of the special operation for urban order, cleaning, and security at Arpoador, the Rio de Janeiro City Hall installed a permanent base for the Municipal Guard at the top of Pedra do Arpoador. In a reinforced cleaning action, Comlurb collected 2,5 tons of garbage on the beach and at the natural monument. The Municipal Secretariat of Public Order towed 21 motorcycles that were illegally parked, in addition to seizing chairs and umbrellas that were left overnight on the sand.
The measures follow the new rules for nighttime use of Arpoador, Parque Garota de Ipanema, and the beach and shoreline of Posto 8 during the summer. A regulatory resolution will be published in the Official Gazette of the Municipality on Monday (05/01).
The permanent Municipal Guard post is operated by the Environmental Defense Group (GDA), with eight agents per shift. The group will operate 24 hours a day in the area. On the first day of operation of the base, the teams prioritized awareness campaigns about the new rules for using the space. The permanent base reinforces the beach's order, which already has another 25 agents per shift from the Special Beach Group and the Mobile Tactical Group, operating at the Arpoador gate and on the beach sand.
On the first day of the special operation, Comlurb collected 2,5 tons of trash on the beach and at Pedra do Arpoador. The company worked on the beach with 61 sanitation workers at posts 8 and 9, and also at Praia do Diabo. Throughout the operation, the sanitation workers were supported by two water trucks, three pressure washers, two motor pumps, one compactor truck, and five tractors, two for removal and three for sanitization. Another 30 sanitation workers worked at Pedra do Arpoador, where all access points were cleaned. The 30 containers at the location were also replenished.
– It's an integrated operation involving several municipal departments to improve urban planning, allowing Comlurb (the city's sanitation company) to carry out proper cleaning as it always has. Given the public's habit of frequenting the beach and the rocky area at night, what we're trying to do is organize the schedule and the way we do it. The expectation is that we can effectively keep the beach clean 24 hours a day, as we like to keep it, without preventing people from using it. The idea is to have an integrated operation throughout the entire summer – explained the president of Comlurb, Jorge Arraes.
RioLuz installed temporary lighting during the cleanup operation at Pedra do Arpoador. A team of four employees, equipped with a 22-meter aerial work platform truck, as well as two mobile pedestals with seven LED projectors, 250 meters of cables, and three flashlights on three-meter masts, powered by batteries, supported the Comlurb operation.
The Public Order Department deployed 45 agents to the scene. During the operation, 21 motorcycles parked illegally were towed away. 147 beach chairs and 23 beach umbrellas that had been left overnight on the sand were also seized.
– This is an integrated action by the City Hall and the Military Police. It has several concepts. First, to provide the public of Arpoador with security, order, and especially an environment conducive to cleaning logistics. We implemented an operational methodology. There are only two entry points to Arpoador: Garota de Ipanema Park and the Arpoador gate. The park will close at 20 pm. After that, entry is only possible through the gate. And the only exit will be via Via Peti. These are measures to bring security, order, and cleanliness to all tourists and locals who frequent Arpoador – explained the Secretary of Public Order, Marcus Belchior.
Other items were also seized: 226 beverages; 155 unusable goods (trinkets); 101 pieces of clothing; 63 bazaar items (clothes); 39 perishable goods; 12 advertising pieces; 15 styrofoam boxes; eight cargo carts; seven barbecues; five gas cylinders; six large structures; five carts; four tricycles; three sugarcane juice presses and three donkey carts.
The special operation involves the participation of the State Secretariat of Military Police, which has directed specific reinforcements to the integrated actions, including teams from its specialized units. The corporation has also incorporated its technological apparatus into the package of actions, positioning one of its command vehicles in the region, aiming at integration with the Video Monitoring and Facial Recognition System, and using drones with cameras equipped with the same technology.
"Our institutional role is to guarantee public order and provide security for both the professionals who are here carrying out the reorganization of the space and the visitors to Arpoador. It's a milestone for environmental and tourism issues, because a better lit, more organized space conveys a greater sense of security," stated Captain Azevedo, a Military Police officer who accompanied the operation on Saturday night.
Resolution with new rules will be published in the Official Gazette this Monday.
The Rio de Janeiro City Hall has established new rules for nighttime use of Arpoador, Garota de Ipanema Park, and the sand and shoreline of Post 8 to reinforce environmental preservation, safety, and the responsible use of public spaces during the summer. The measures, which came into effect on Saturday night (January 3rd), focus on urban planning, cleanliness, and security. On Monday (January 5th), a joint resolution from the Secretariats of Public Order, Municipal Guard, and Comlurb will be published.
The new rules aim to guarantee harmonious coexistence between residents, tourists, and workers in one of the city's most visited areas. The actions will also ensure the protection of the landscape and urban cleanliness. The resolution defines operating hours, organizes entry and exit flows, establishes rules for economic and cultural activities, and institutes integrated action between the municipal bodies responsible for urban planning, security, and cleaning.
In the case of Pedra do Arpoador, the area will operate under rules similar to those of a park, opening to the public at 4 am and closing at 21 pm. Between 21 pm and 23 pm, teams will be working to guide the flow of visitors leaving. From 23 pm to 4 am, the area will be reserved for cleaning operations carried out by Comlurb, following specific logistics. Comlurb will perform mechanized cleaning of the Arpoador sand strip daily, preferably between 2 am and 4 am, isolating the area to ensure the safety of visitors and the efficiency of the service.
The Garota de Ipanema Park, which opens at 6 am, will close daily at 20 pm, with access controlled through the official entrances. These routines may be adjusted by the Municipal Secretariat of Public Order, according to the dynamics of the high season. Control points and operational roadblocks have also been implemented by the Municipal Guard and the Municipal Secretariat of Public Order, at strategic times and locations, to prevent the entry of unauthorized street vendors, curb the irregular use of sound equipment, and organize pedestrian traffic flow.
With the new traffic flow, entry will be through the gate at Arpoador beach and through Garota de Ipanema Park (Rua Francisco Otaviano). After the park closes, the only entry will be through the gate. Exit will be via Alameda Via Peti, next to Garota de Ipanema Park, with traffic flow management to reduce intersections and improve dispersal at the end of operating hours.
Actions taken during the operation in Arpoador.
Girl from Ipanema Park – Daily closing at 20 PM – With the park closed, access to the perimeter is only through the Arpoador gate.
Arpoador Rock – Closing time 21 PM – Opening time 4 AM – 21 PM to 23 PM – sweeping to facilitate outflow – Comlurb (municipal cleaning company) cleans from 23 PM to 4 AM.
Cleaning on the Sand – 2am to 4am – mechanical cleaning.
COMLURB
23 PM – Integrated operation at Pedra do Arpoador – 30 sanitation workers
Cleaning of all access points to the stone, removal of debris, and cleaning and replacement of the 30 containers.
Cleaning Arpoador beach – 61 street cleaners
* Post 7 to 8 and Devil's Beach
Equipment:
2 Kites
3 sandblasting machines
2 motor pumps
1 compactor truck
5 tractors, 2 for removal and 3 for sanitization.
Fixed post of the Municipal Guard.
– 8 agents per shift from the Environmental Defense Group (GDA). 24-hour operation.
– The fixed base reinforces beach security, which already has another 25 agents per shift from the Special Beach Group and the Mobile Tactical Unit, operating at the Arpoador gate and on the beach sand.
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