The executive director of the Ecological Movement "Ozone" Aleksandar Perović said that the air in Podgorica has an increasing trend of exceeding the average daily values in the previous three years. He warns that a systemic response and concrete action are needed, stating that the number of potentially endangered residents, especially sensitive groups, is a sufficient reason for urgent measures.
The Environmental Protection Agency announced that during the twenty-seven days of December, the concentration of PM10 particles was above the prescribed limit value. The maximum measured daily mean value of PM10 particles during the last month of December was 194,9 micrograms per cubic meter.
He sees the solution in systematic work on improving the existing infrastructure, spatial planning, organizing traffic, effective application of laws and repressive measures for all subjects whose work endangers people's health.
During the second half of 2014, "Ozon" conducted a public opinion survey in Podgorica, which showed that 70,4 percent of respondents believe that air pollution poses a threat to people's health.
"This gives us the right to state that the competent institutions are not doing their job well, because good information of the citizens is a prerequisite for their active participation in the process of solving problems that are of vital importance", assessed Perović.
Their research showed that over 80 percent of the respondents believe that the direct involvement of citizens in the process of solving problems is a necessary prerequisite if we want to improve the situation.
The average annual value of suspended PM10 particles in Podgorica does not exceed the prescribed annual mean value of 40 micrograms per cubic meter, but it is getting closer to that limit.
The maximum measured daily average value of PM10 particles during the last month of the past year was 194,9 micrograms per cubic meter.
During 2014, 78 days were recorded when the level of air pollution in the capital was above the permitted level.
The highest concentrations of particles were measured using mobile stations at the intersection of Kralja Nikola Street and Crnogorski Serdari Street and near the "Delta City" shopping center.
Solving problems requires money
The Vice-President of the Democrats Zdenka Popović said that the problem of environmental pollution will be brought up to date during the opening of the chapter on environmental protection, within the framework of EU accession.
She believes that there are no capacities to solve these problems.
"The main problem is the lack of finances," said Popović.
Competent services, among which the Secretariat for Planning and Spatial Planning and Environmental Protection stands out, initiate initiatives to solve this problem, but they end with the adoption of written forms.
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