The President of the Board of Directors of the Regional Waterworks of the Montenegrin Coast, Zoran Lakušić, said that dumping waste in Zeta is a threat to the environment and public safety.
"In the settlement of Cijevna, in the municipality of Zeta, in the immediate vicinity of the river Cijevna, in the vicinity of the asphalt base of the Podgorica company 'Roads', industrial waste was deposited, which is unofficially claimed to be grit - a dangerous material full of toxic substances. According to the employees, this waste is not properly disposed, which poses a serious threat to the environment and the health of the local population. Grit, as a by-product of industrial processes, contains heavy metals and other hazardous substances that can contaminate the soil, groundwater and rivers. Such contamination can have far-reaching consequences, not only for ecosystem, but also for drinking water sources of vital importance for people," Lakušić wrote on Facebook.
It is of additional concern, he said, that the waste, "hazardous or non-hazardous", is located near the Cijevna River, which significantly increases the risk of watercourse contamination. He points out that the source of Boljesestra, which is the key source of drinking water for a large part of the population of Montenegro, is particularly endangered.
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Lakušić says that if these watercourses were to be polluted, "the consequences would be catastrophic" - there would be a serious threat to the basic conditions for life, including people's health.
"Especially worrying is the information coming from environmental activists, who indicated based on the existence of indications that a private company also disposed of similar hazardous waste near the Morača River, in the Second Sanitary Protection Zone. This zone is legally protected precisely because of its importance for preserving the purity of water resources, and any attempt to illegally dump waste in these zones is a gross violation of the law and a direct threat to the ecosystem. What is even more alarming is that the waste was allegedly dumped in the holes left after the illegal exploitation of gravel and sand, making it a double environmental crime. more serious," he states.
He said that the state must react.
"Such actions not only show the extreme irresponsibility of the companies participating in this practice, but also the lack of adequate supervision and decisive reaction by the competent institutions. In a situation where the health of citizens is directly threatened, the state must react urgently in order to rehabilitate the threatened areas and ensure that such incidents are not repeated".
Lakušić said that this issue should not remain unnoticed, nor that it should be relegated to the background, but that the protection of natural resources, especially water, must be a priority.
"Without decisive and timely measures, we risk permanent damage to the ecosystem and jeopardizing basic living conditions for future generations. We must recognize this situation as a test for our institutions and society as a whole," he adds.
He said that the rivers Cijevna and Morača, as well as the source of Boljesestra, "must not become victims of carelessness and irresponsibility".
"Their protection is a matter not only of ecological survival, but also of public safety and the quality of life of future generations. Therefore, a reaction is necessary to prevent further deterioration of the situation and ensure the long-term preservation of these precious natural resources," he concludes.
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