The air in Belgrade has been polluted for the past few days, and every autumn and winter the capital is plagued with individual fireplaces, of which there are more than 300,000 in the city. Jasmina Madžgalj from the Secretariat for Environmental Protection notes that raising the awareness of citizens about switching to more environmentally friendly energy sources is one of the key directions in the process of reducing pollution.
The heating season has long since started, and that usually means more air pollution in Belgrade. The capital of Serbia has two types of problems when it comes to air pollution, permanent polluters, such as TENT and Kostolac, but also traffic. In winter, individual fireplaces are connected as a third pollutant.
Jasmina Madžgalj, from the Secretariat for Environmental Protection, confirms that air pollution knows no administrative boundaries, and that large polluters, such as the Nikola Tesla and Kostolac Thermal Power Plants, which operate throughout the year, are significant sources of pollution even in Belgrade.
The so-called air quality plan was adopted in Belgrade in 2021. It is an extensive document detailing plans and proposed specific actions to make the air we breathe cleaner.
“The city has adopted a ten-year plan for air quality, which includes measures to reduce pollution and improve environmental standards. The biggest challenges are solving traffic problems and individual fire pits, of which there are around 300,000 in Belgrade,” says Madžgalj.
He points out that, while the transport sector is easier to regulate through public transport and traffic strategies, the solution for individual fire pits is more complex, because the city does not have direct control over private facilities.
“The plan of measures includes increasing the awareness of citizens and motivating them to switch to more environmentally friendly energy sources. Therefore, raising awareness and motivation are key measures,” the interviewee sums up.
He emphasizes that only in some cases can a penal policy be considered. The goal, however, is to further motivate the population to switch to cleaner heating methods.
Wild dumps
As for illegal landfills, Madžgalj explains that they not only pollute the land and groundwater, but also the air, because they release harmful particles.
“In cooperation with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the city cleaned up numerous illegal landfills, including the long-standing landfill in Dobanovci, where a regional recycling center is now being built,” the interviewee points out.
She does not see a stricter criminal policy as part of the solution in the fight against illegal dumping, but she emphasized the importance of constant cooperation and support of citizens in maintaining a clean environment.
“If ten clean and one pollutes, not even the penal policy will help. The idea is to cooperate, and we will work on greening”, concludes the interlocutor in an interview with RTS.
She also emphasized the importance of following the advice of the City Institute for Public Health, and that city institutions regularly convey recommendations to citizens in order to provide them with better conditions for health protection and better air quality.
E2 portal (RTS)
Source: www.e2.rs
