Pollution in Skopje, measured at 1 pm, is 161.83 micrograms per cubic meter, which is three times more than the allowed 50 micrograms.
Currently, according to data on the website of the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning, it reads that very high levels of PM10 particles is observed in Skopje settlements Centar, Gazi Baba and at the measuring unit Rektorat, as well as the municipality of Tetovo. Pollution is at a high level in settlements Karposh, Lisiche and in the Municipality of Veles. High concentration of PM10 cancerous particles was observed yesterday and on Sunday.
The Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning say that they, according to the law, are required to regulate the pollution which derives from large facilities, such as factories and power plants.
– We are responsible for large facilities such as factories and power plants. Local self-government is responsible for smaller pollutants and all municipalities have to make action plans and to act in accordance with those plans – says Sasho Sekulovski from the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning.
Representatives of the Municipality of Karposh say that they have controlled the legal entities subject to the control on its territory and act upon the complaints whenever obtained from citizens or legal entities.
– The municipality is only part of the City of Skopje as a unit of local self-government and its jurisdictions are small or limited to a small number of legal entities who are controlled. An automated station for monitoring air quality is set up in the primary school “Petar Pop-Arsov” – say representatives of Karposh.
Representatives of the City of Skopje say they take measures only if higher levels of pollution than normal are observed 10 days continuously.
– City of Skopje imposes warnings when five consecutive days pollution exceeds the permissible level. Measures are taken on the 10th day. The measures taken by the City of Skopje are washing boulevards and spraying the streets with calcium-magnesium acetate. Since is the first year, spraying will be done only in the central area. The streets will be sprayed only if conditions allow, i.e. if humidity does not exceed 80 percent, otherwise it wouldn’t have any effect. If spraying conditions are good, then, with this measure, PM10 particles would be reduced by 10 to 20 percent. If conditions don’t allow, then spraying will be delayed until the allowed level of humidity is reached – says Nedelcho Krstevski from the City of Skopje.
