Urban infrastructure
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Erechim boasts robust infrastructure. In 2000, the city had 26,999 dwellings, including apartments, houses, and rooms. Of these, 19,503 were owned properties, with 17,231 fully paid (63.82%), 2,272 in the process of acquisition (8.42%), and 4,894 rented (18.83%). Additionally, 2,323 dwellings were provided, with 683 supplied by employers (2.53%) and 1,640 provided through other means (6.07%). Another 279 were occupied in other ways (1.03%).
The municipality provides treated water, electricity, wastewater services, urban cleaning, fixed telephony, and mobile telephony. In 2000, 90.11% of households were served by the general water supply network; 89.70% of residences had garbage collection, and 89.07% had sanitary drainage. The city’s Gini coefficient is 0.40.
Social infrastructure[edit]
According to the municipal government, social infrastructure encompasses four key areas: education, income and poverty, sanitation, and healthcare. These are evaluated using the Economic and Social Development Index (IDESE). On this scale, which ranges from zero to one, Erechim ranks as the tenth municipality overall in the regional classification.
Income and poverty[edit]
In the category of income and poverty, Erechim is considered to have a medium level, ranking 96th in the state. Compared to previous years, it was ranked 30th in 1991 and 75th in 2000. There has been a slight reduction in poverty indicators and a notable increase in the number of people experiencing hunger. However, this does not pose a significant risk to the municipality’s development.
The municipal per capita income is R$13,251.00. The Gini coefficient, which measures social inequality, is 0.40, where 1.00 represents the highest inequality and 0.00 the lowest. The poverty incidence, as measured by IBGE, is 26.30%, with a lower poverty threshold of 15.70%, an upper threshold of 22.90%, and a subjective poverty incidence of 19.39%.
Healthcare[edit]
Based on the Socioeconomic Development Index (IDESE), Erechim demonstrates strong performance in its healthcare system but ranks poorly statewide, at 302nd place. In recent years, the city has climbed the rankings due to declines in other municipalities. The infant mortality rate is 3.16 per thousand live births. The municipality has forty healthcare facilities, twelve public and 28 private, including hospitals, emergency rooms, health centers, and dental services. In total, the city has 286 hospital beds, with 153 public and 133 private.Entrance to the Erechim Charity Hospital
Key hospitals in Erechim include:
Santa Terezinha Hospital Foundation of Erechim: It is a general hospital that serves as a regional reference for the Unified Health System (SUS) in the area covered by the 11th Regional Health Coordination Office, which includes 31 municipalities. It is a reference for cancer treatment in the northern region of the state, hosting the High-Complexity Oncology Center, which includes chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and a Women’s Reference Center. It has 175 beds, a 24-hour emergency room, a surgical center, an obstetric center, and neonatal, pediatric, and adult general ICUs.
Erechim Charity Hospital: Founded in the 1930s, it has operated as a philanthropic institution since 1951. In January 2004, the Charity Hospital Clinical Center was inaugurated, integrating professionals from various health specialties with the hospital. It currently has approximately 122 beds, 155 medical staff, and 355 employees.
Primary Healthcare Units: Erechim has twelve primary healthcare units located in various neighborhoods across all city regions, serving areas such as Centro, Progresso, São Vicente de Paulo, Paiol Grande, Presidente Vargas, Aldo Arioli, São Cristóvão, Estevan Carraro, Capoerê, Jaguaretê, Atlântico, and Bela Vista.
In 2009, Erechim gained national attention during the swine flu pandemic as the site of Brazil’s first fatal case of swine flu. The victim, truck driver Vanderlei Vial, who had traveled to Argentina between May 28 and June 15, 2009, returned to Erechim on June 19 and sought medical attention the following day with symptoms. He was hospitalized on June 23, transferred to Passo Fundo, and passed away on June 28. The 2009 flu pandemic was a global outbreak of a swine flu variant, with the first cases reported in Mexico in mid-March 2009. On May 7, Brazil’s Ministry of Health confirmed the first four cases of H1N1 flu in the country. According to the World Health Organization, the virus caused over 18,000 deaths worldwide since its emergence in April 2009.
Sanitation[edit]
Among the four components of social infrastructure, sanitation is the least developed in Erechim. Despite this, it is in sanitation that the city holds its highest state ranking, at 11th, due to significant improvements between 1998 and 2004. Federal Law No. 11,445 of 2007 established a new framework for basic sanitation, mandating services for water supply, sanitary sewage, urban cleaning with solid waste management, and stormwater drainage in all Brazilian municipalities. This requires the development of a basic sanitation plan, economic feasibility analysis, regulatory standards, public hearings, a tariff system, conditions for sustainability of economic-financial balance, and contract duration.
Public safety[edit]
Emblem of the Military Brigade of Rio Grande do Sul
In 1980, Erechim made statewide headlines due to four murders committed by serial killer Luiz Baú, who had escaped from the Erechim State Prison and stabbed his victims, mostly young boys, with extreme cruelty, earning the nickname "The Monster of Erechim".
As in most medium and large Brazilian municipalities, crime is a challenge in Erechim. In 2006, the homicide rate was 15.1%. The rate of fatalities by firearm peaked at 30.2% in 2003, dropped to 7.6% between 2004 and 2005, but rose to 11.9% in 2006. The rate of deaths from traffic accidents increased from 12.1% in 2002 to 29.2% in 2006.
To address high crime rates, the municipal government, in collaboration with the Military Brigade of Rio Grande do Sul (BMRS) and the Municipal Secretariat for Public Safety and Social Protection, established under Article 27 of Law 4,420 of February 11, 2009, has implemented various measures. One such measure is Law No. 4,723, which amended Article 4 of Law No. 3,925 of December 13, 2005, mandating that bars, restaurants, entertainment venues, and similar establishments in Erechim display signs prohibiting the sale of alcohol, cigarettes, and similar products to minors. This has helped reduce incidents involving minors. Another initiative is the Violence Prevention Program (PPV), aimed at reducing violence through a social network that identifies, integrates, and promotes governmental and non-governmental actions to combat and prevent crime, focusing on high-risk neighborhoods and communities.
Transportation[edit]
Air transport[edit]
The Erechim Airport (IATA: ERM, ICAO: SSER) faces competition from nearby airports in Passo Fundo and Chapecó, limiting its growth. However, plans are in place to expand and renovate the passenger terminal by 65 m², bringing the total to 330.49 m². This includes accessibility improvements for people with disabilities, air conditioning, fencing, and new furniture, funded through partnerships with SEINFRA (State Secretariat for Infrastructure and Logistics) and the Federal Airport Assistance Program (PROFAA), with contributions from the Erechim municipality. By 2011, the implementation of a Category 4 Firefighting Section was planned.
A key operator at the airport is NHT Linhas Aéreas, offering flights to Porto Alegre and São Paulo. The airline operates a fleet of six LET 410 UVP E-20 aircraft, designed for 19 passengers and two crew members, manufactured in Europe by Aircraft Industries and equipped with advanced navigation and safety systems. The Erechim route has recently been enhanced with the addition of two new aircraft.
Urban transport[edit]
Bus representing public transport in the city
The first urban transport company in Erechim, "Empresas de Transportes Gaurama Ltda," was established in 1953, operating routes from Marcelino Ramos and Gaurama to Erechim. From 1954, it began providing urban transport within the city. Until 1960, it served five neighborhoods: Aeroporto, Linho, Cemitério Municipal, Três Vendas, and Piscina Clube. Since 1980, Gaurama has focused solely on municipal transport after selling its intermunicipal routes. Currently, nearly all city neighborhoods are covered.
The fare for public transport aligns with that of the state capital. However, transferring to another bus requires a new ticket. The standard urban transport fare is currently R$4.80. A student fare system offers tickets at R$2.40, valid only with a Student Transport Card.
In 2019, an electronic ticketing system was introduced, using cards, as implemented in many other cities. By 2022, the use of physical tokens for fares was phased out.
Road and rail transport[edit]
In 2009, Erechim’s vehicle fleet totaled 46,950, including 30,089 cars, 1,651 trucks, 481 tractor-trucks, 3,552 pickups, 213 minibuses, 7,492 motorcycles, 2,948 scooters, 515 buses, and nine wheeled tractors. The city’s paved avenues and numerous traffic lights facilitate traffic flow, but the growing number of vehicles over the past decade has led to increasingly slow traffic, particularly in the Seat district. Additionally, finding parking spaces in the commercial center has become challenging, impacting local commerce.
The Erechim Bus Terminal is a major hub for road transport in northern Rio Grande do Sul and southern Santa Catarina, serving destinations in over ten Brazilian states, including Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Bahia, and the Federal District. It covers the southern, parts of the southeastern, central-western, and northeastern regions of Brazil, with key operators including Reunidas and Unesul.
Erechim also has a historic railway station, which played a significant role in the city and region’s development. Inaugurated on August 3, 1910, the local railway network is currently abandoned. However, municipalities in the Alto Uruguai and plateau regions have united to demand action from América Latina Logística (ALL), the company responsible for the regional rail network, regarding the neglected state of the railway in Alto Uruguai and the 386 km stretch to Santa Maria.
Services and communications[edit]
Itá UHE, one of the facilities supplying energy to the region
Erechim is served by the electric company Rio Grande Energia (RGE) since 1997, covering 262 municipalities, or 51% of Rio Grande do Sul’s total municipalities. Power generation is no longer local but comes from the Functional Planning Region 9, which includes major hydroelectric plants such as Itá and Machadinho. Along with Passo Fundo, Erechim is among RGE’s highest energy consumers. Existing and planned PCH and MCH transmission lines are expected to meet demand. The Erechim microregion is a significant energy exporter and requires minimal upgrades. However, rural areas generally lack sufficient lighting to maintain temperatures in poultry farms or pigsties or to install cooling systems for milk and meat. Approximately 98% of urban residences have electricity, though this drops to 75–95% in the rural area. The CRERAL (Alto Uruguai Regional Rural Electrification Cooperative), founded on July 23, 1969, serves around 6,000 consumers as an alternative distributor.
Water supply for the entire city is managed by the Rio Grande do Sul Sanitation Company (Corsan). Sewage collection is handled by the municipal government. Internet services include dial-up, broadband (ADSL), and fiber optic, offered by various free and paid ISPs. Mobile phone services are provided by multiple operators, with 3G access available since September 1, 2008. Erechim’s area code (DDD) is 054, and its postal code ranges from 99700-001 to 99717-999. On January 19, 2009, Erechim, along with 137 other municipalities in Rio Grande do Sul sharing the same DDD, gained access to number portability, allowing users to switch operators without changing their phone numbers.
Erechim has several circulating newspapers, including Jornal Diário da Manhã, Jornal Boa Vista, Jornal Bom Dia, Jornal Voz Regional, A Região, and O Esporte. The city is also home to six radio stations: Difusão FM 94.9, Virtual FM 104.7, Cultura FM 105.9, Rede Colinas FM 90.7, Difusão Sul-Riograndense AM 650, and TchêErechim AM 1200. Television stations include a local RBS affiliate, RBS TV Erechim, as well as repeaters for SBT RS, BAND RS, TVE RS, and TV Pampa.
