Obilic mortality rate increased as a result of pollution

Smoke and ash rising from the two thermal power plants in the municipality of Obilics upset hundreds of thousands of Kosovo citizens during the winter, but the obilics do not recognise seasons of fresh air.

Loud clouds of smoke cover the sky over Obilic, 10km in the vicinity of Kosovo's capital.

The village of Dardhisht of this municipality, which is one of the most polluted villages in the Obilic municipality, seems covered by fog at the point of the day.

Smoke coming out of the two thermal power plants located in this country disturbs citizens living in surrounding areas mainly during the winter, but for the inhabitants of Dardjast it is disturbing throughout the year.

Idriz Fetah, 62, has spent his entire life in Dardashisht his hometown.

When it blows north of the keyhole, we get dust inside. When you get out, whatever you touch, it's dust. [The dust] comes from the storage of the carriers, brings us back as mist”, he relates.

The polluted air in Obilic has affected the deterioration of the environment in general.

Ifete Grguri, 63, hangs out his laundry, but I know that when they are dried they will have an extremely severe smell as if they haven't been washed at all.

When the clothes are placed, they are washed when we collect them, they smell coal. We use these clothes, but they smell like coal. The biggest concern is for grandchildren going out to play in the yard, they fall into the bar, he's sucking dust out of the ground from the air even inside the house”, she says.

In the past year, Kosovo's Assembly had adopted the Law for the endangered environmental zone of Obilic and around it.

In addition to protecting the environment and health of citizens, there are other benefits to citizens living in this municipality.

Article Salak, 20, says that air uncleanness has become common to all who live in Dardish. He says if he had a choice, he'd move out of this place:

The polluted sky is full, but we're used to not noticing it. If we had the chance, we would've changed that air is dirty with powder”.

During the past winter air pollution took on disturbing proportions in Obilic and in surrounding cities where the concentration of micro-partys in the air was 10 to 16 times higher than the values considered by the World Health Organization.

O The BSH estimates air pollution is one of the leading causes of premature death. One of the six premature deaths of over 9 million people worldwide in 2015 is said to have been caused by air pollution.

Osman Gergur, 72, says that many of his co-vendells as a result of contaminated air have health problems.

This pollution has cost us a lot, if we take it for 20 to 30 years, we have people who died of cancer. Pollution has greatly affected the death of these people”, he says.

Kosovo has more than 10 billion tons of linen and as such is the fifth country in the world for the amount of this resources. The coal that burns at the “thermal power plant Kosovo A” and “Kosovo B” serves as the main source for electricity production for the entire country.

The Kosova A thermal power plant, which is considered the biggest environmental pollutor in the municipality of Obilic and surrounding areas, will not be closed until new thermal power plant is built “the new Kosovo”. Plans for the construction of this thermal power plant began in 2005 and are not known when construction can begin on the ground.