The data which shows that on the shores of Serbian rivers, illegal landfills are forming is alarming. Intentionally disposed of waste subsequently ends up in the rivers‘ course.
Oil and grease packaging, automobile tires, creosote packaging and that of other poisonous substances, household waste and construction waste all often end up on river coast. Even though it is hard to imagine someone just dumping their waste on the river shore, that is in fact a very common picture in river forelands. The waste is most commonly disposed of in places where it is easy to access the river and its coast by car or some other freight vehicle.
Such waste often ends up in the rivers themselves, and the authorities claim that this phenomenon could be prevented with strong inspection, but also by educating the citizens.
The waste that is in the forelands of the rivers primarily endangers the very nature around the river, negatively impacts both the flora and the fauna, and by the same token, distorts the image of the shore so such places, instead of being suitable for the development of tourism or recreation of citizens, mostly become places which are widely bypassed.
Due to heavy rains and land erosion, the waste which ends up in the river course inevitably jeopardizes both the flora and the fauna of the rivers, negatively impacts the quality of water, so many rivers become polluted beyond what is treatable and re-usable. It is not a rare occurance for the operation of hydro power plants to be jeopardized due to the waste flowing in the rivers.
On the frequency of the landfill occurence on river shores testifies a crushing, at the time published data that on the shores of the Morava River, there is an illegal landfill every 200 to 300 meters of the coast. The case is similar for many other rivers.
Rivers and lakes in Serbia are something we are most often proud of, so this kind of image sends a very bad message to all younger generations, but to ourselves as well, because it testifies to a negligent and irresponsible relationship towards the nature that surrounds us.
The “Clean Serbia“ Project is currently building sewage networks which drain all the polluted waters and wastewaters towards the wastewater treatment plants so such wastewater does not end up in the river course. Equal responsibility falls on the citizens themselves, to report the inappropriate disposal of waste to the authorities, but mostly to show their immediate surroundings, by setting a positive example, how to preserve the rivers.
Without water, there is no life, so we have to react before it is too late!
