The Rožaje Municipal Company is still disposing of waste at the Mostina landfill, the Municipality confirmed to "Vijesti".
The Environmental Protection Agency issued a decision at the end of May this year ordering that "in order to eliminate the immediate threat of environmental damage and reduce the risk to human health, all further disposal and storage of waste be suspended and that it be physically secured". As stated in the decision, there is no fire protection at that landfill, no waste selection is carried out, there are no truck scales for measuring waste, and the measurement and recording are carried out in the city. Animal waste is disposed of in a hole at the landfill itself and sprinkled with lime, and stray dogs spread the waste.
A few days ago, environmental activists asked the authorities to react to the fact that Komunalno is not respecting the Agency's decision.
As he told "Vijesti" Aysel Kalac from the Secretariat for Housing, Communal Affairs and Transport, "after the Agency issued a decision on the urgent suspension of activities at the Mostina location, the Municipality of Rožaje filed an appeal."
"Municipality representatives have been informed that DOO Komunalno is dumping waste at Mostina and that this will continue until the appeal procedure is completed, given that the appeal has a suspensive effect," he says.
Kalač denies claims from the civil sector “that physical security at the Mostina landfill has not been implemented.” This, officially temporary, landfill, he says, is “fenced, except in the part where it was not possible to install a fence due to the configuration of the terrain.” He claims that a guard has been hired at the landfill to prevent the entry of unauthorized persons and other illegal activities.
Kalač also says that waste from the landfill does not reach the Ibar River and claims that “therefore there is no possibility of contamination of Lake Gazivode, nor a risk to public health and water supply.” He explains that the Municipality does not have an alternative location for temporary or permanent waste disposal.
"When it comes to alternative locations for temporary or permanent waste disposal, the Spatial and Urban Plan (SUP) of the municipality of Rožaje does not provide for a location for waste disposal. Therefore, we are unable to determine another location that would be in accordance with legal norms and environmental standards," he explains.
The Rožaje NGO "Promjene", which has long warned of the enormous environmental danger posed by the illegal use of the Mostina landfill, told "Vijesti" that the Municipality is providing incorrect information to the media and is trying to cover up the real situation on the ground.
"As citizens and activists who have been fighting for ecological safety for years, we are obliged to truthfully inform the public and call on the competent institutions to act urgently. We warn against disrespecting the Agency's decision requesting an immediate suspension of activities at the Mostina location."
"Despite this, Komunalno Rožaje continues to dump waste at that location every evening, of which there is video and photo evidence. The excuse that the appeal has a suspensive effect does not change the fact that the decision was made due to serious environmental threats, and that human health and nature must not be conditioned by bureaucratic interpretations. Contrary to the Municipality's claims, Mostina is not physically secured. The fence is partial and does not cover the most critical parts, while the entrance is open to trucks that unload waste without hindrance, without any control or recording. There is no active video surveillance, nor organized access control," the NGO claims.
They also say that "waste has been going directly into the Ibar River for years." According to what they told Vijesti from the NGO "Promjene", since March 28, 2024, waste has been dumped directly into the Ibar River bed from the right side of the landfill (as viewed from the entrance).
"This lasted for years, and was only stopped after a public protest by citizens that day. Today, a different route is used, but the damage done in the previous period has not been repaired, nor has it been examined... According to the Report of the Institute for Hydrometeorology and Seismology for 2023, which included the analysis of fish from the Ibar River at the Bača site, the presence of mercury was established in an amount of 29 micrograms per kilogram, which exceeds the limit of quality standards, brominated diphenyl ethers (BDE) in a concentration of 3,0410 micrograms, which is higher than the standard... The highest content was recorded in the homologue BDE-99, known for its harmful effects on the nervous system. Therefore, this is not a matter of 'possible pollution', but of proven contamination of the ecosystem," explain the environmental activists from Rožaje.
As the NGO “Promjene” says, although the PUP does not foresee a location for waste disposal, “this cannot be an excuse for the continuation of criminal dumping in a place that endangers the entire Ibar River basin, including Lake Gazivode, from which water is drunk in a significant part of Kosovo”. They remind that “the law requires that waste be temporarily stored in a location that meets basic environmental standards, and not in an illegal landfill that has already been banned by a state authority”.
They claim that "instead of protecting the interests of citizens, the Municipality relativizes pollution, hides information and protects privileged individuals."
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