Air pollution contributes to 3,000 premature deaths a year

In a public debate discussing air pollution, the minister of ecology in Northern Macedonia was reluctant to talk about the causes and measures that will be taken by the state. Even his translator insisted that questions be asked only on the subject of the presentation of an international report on pollution in the country. What he said was the repetition of Friday's position, after meeting with the inspectors for the new anti-insulting measures.

The long-term strategy is the gasification of the country. In short term, we will take all necessary measures to stop pollution, such as lighting fires, and the industry will better control it, review different companies for integration permits A and B, and do whatever is possible for a short time. In the long term, this is a complex issue that we all have to work together for, said Naser Nuredini, minister of Ecology.

In journalists' questions during the panel, Minister Nuredini did not show how many fines have been pronounced against air pollutants. What the minister does not know, Alsat learned from the Life Environment Inspectorate, also providing the names of subjects that have not respected ecological standards this year.

During 2019, 1776 field controls were conducted and 49 environmentally polluting fines were imposed. 6 of them are criminal prosecutions, and another 43 are for countering the life environment's State Inspectorate.

Of environmental associations, state inspectors and municipal inspectors are not in charge, and the presence of police officers during inspection would facilitate the legitimacy of pollutants.

Normally, they have not done the job properly, citizens' reactions to their own sloth should not be expected. We have the Penal Code that envisions criminal acts and illegality for public cleanness, just to know that for throwing a cigarette filter, the penalty is 50 euros, so it's seen on the field how much has been worked on for the big pollutants. We cannot expect only on the basis of appeals to change something, strict controls and sanctions must be made to prevent all those who do not abide by the law and pollute the air Nevena Georgievsk, “Initiative O2”.

Meanwhile, today the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe presented a report of 72 recommendations on how to improve the environment. According to them, causers of pollution are the coal energy production sector, which contributes 90% to the release of Sulfur dioxide, the age of vehicles, which the average is 18.6 years and households.

“report U n NCE” shows that air pollution contributes to 3,000 premature deaths per year, while lowering PM2.5 particles levels under EU standards can save approximately 874 lives. According to them, the air quality monitoring network, changing heavy metal productivity protocol, reducing fossil fuel use in energy production, gasing the heating sector, and subsidising renewable energy sources.