entering Visegrad in Bosnia and Herzegovina
The floating garbage is a threat to the
local tourism-based economy
There are also fears about its impact on people's health
(Dejan Furtula, Eko Centar Visegrad)
"We are now on the location of a waste-holding chain on the upper Visegrad Lake. I have roughly 5,000 cubic meters (53,820 square feet) of different kinds of waste behind me, as you can see. Sadly, the garbage comes from everywhere, and this scene repeats year after year. For instance, the hydroelectric power plant employees cleaned garbage for 11 months, or nearly the entire year, last year. There, in the municipal landfill roughly 300 meters (328 yards) away from here, is where waste ends up."
(Dijana Rajic, Andricev Konak hotel)
"Garbage that comes to us from other countries and regions along the Drina river has a negative impact on the population and tourism in Visegrad, but it also pollutes the river and has a bad effect on the fish stock in the river."
The local hydropower plant had begun fencing
the garbage to protect a dam some 20 years ago
FURTULA: "I can't believe that for as long as I can remember, I've been seeing these scenes."
Furtula said that a thorough water analysis
will be undertaken later in 2024
The Visegrad hydropower plant could not
immediately be reached for comment
