I expect someone to take responsibility for the quality of air in Serbia, stated activist for the environmental protection Mirko Popovic for FoNet, while director of the Environmental Protection Agency Filip Radovi\u0107 states that the air quality index demonstrates that the air is temperately polluted in big cities- Belgrade, Ni\u0161 and Novi Sad. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The latest Report of the Environmental Protection Agency for 2017, the only on we can rely on, states that the exceeding of value of polluting materials in few cities in Serbia were more than 100 days in a year, Popovi\u0107 noted, mentioning Valjevo, U\u017eice, Kragujevac and Belgrade. The Report tells us that this state was not only last year, but a few years back, Popovi\u0107 reminded, interweaved by the journalist Andrijane Mila\u0107evi\u0107 in No gloves serial. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If we consider those cities in which the air is too contaminated, categorized by third category, we can conclude that around 2, 5 millions of people in Serbia is frequently exposed to polluted air, Popovi\u0107 said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Their right on healthy environment has been endangered, he emphasized, referring to the Agency\u2019s report, although he consider that the reliability of those data is very questionable. Popovi\u0107 claims that the Agency\u2019s data are on the level of 22 percent of reliability, but they shall be more than 90 percent so that we can properly determine air quality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Someone shall be liable for the air quality, Popovi\u0107 stated and clarified that the institution authorized for measurement of the air quality and publishing of the Environmental protection Agency\u2019s data, while the Government of the Republic of Serbia is responsible for quality of life of the citizens. Quality is not on the Government\u2019s agenda and that is the core problem, he estimated and added that the reason for concern lays in public policies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Popovi\u0107 repeat that the right on healthy environment is prescribed by the Constitution and is the right of every citizen of Serbia, which is not adequately protected. According to them, it is the duty of the competent authorities, when the air has been polluted and the values exceeded, to inform the public and explain how to deal with such situations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The excuse that the pollution is greater during the heating season is irresponsible and unacceptable, Popovic emphasized. Therefore, he believes that the key problems of air pollution in Serbia are not particles, but irresponsibility, ignorance and poverty, as a consequence of expensive but inefficient public administration. Popovi\u0107 advocates amendments to the Law on Air Protection in the sense that non-compliance is followed by a penalty. We shall understand that the sources of pollution are not just thermal power plants, he added, emphasizing that institutions should explain to citizens how to behave more energy-efficiently, though they also need to be wealthier. Poor citizens cannot apply high air quality standards, stated Popovic, who believes that citizens shall consider that when voting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n