Kosovo coal use may be banned in 2020

2019 was a year full of problems and challenges for Kosovo institutions.

As a matter of fact, in cases of failure or greater problems, the main focus is on ministries that are competent to solve them, writes news.net.

The Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning during this year also had many issues on which a special plan for the way out was needed.

Air pollution is one of the main issues, such as problems that are being repeated each year.

Every time temperatures decrease in Kosovo, air pollution marks disturbing levels, while not rarely is Pristina listed as the most polluted capital in the world.

A few decisions have been made in this regard during this year and years past.

They cite the ban on coal use as fuel, and then the constant demand for other dictatorships to become more intense in reducing air pollution.

In terms of reducing air pollution, both the minister and the Interministerial Task Force have taken some important action and decisions that are affecting and impacting the improvement of the situation”, the minister says.

Besides the decisions we've made to ban the use of coals for heating in schools and in public institutions, preventing free coal sheep for KEK workers, we have made constant demands that the line ministries carry out their responsibilities in reducing air pollution”, says the Office for Information This Ministry.

As the other measure mentioned by the MMPH is the requirement for implementing the administrative instruction issued by this minister, which has to do with preventing the registration of cars exceeding the allowed emissions rates in the air.

“We have requested from the Ministry of Infrastructure to implement the administrative directive that MMPH issued years ago, which prevents registration of cars exceeding allowed air discharge rates. This minister in June of this year has started with the testing phase of implementation of this instruction, but this phase needs to be completed and this instruction urgently needs to begin to realise, and this will significantly improve the situation because cars and especially old ones are one of the biggest air pollutors”, say by MMPH.

As the biggest investment mentioned by the MMPJ is the change of thermal power filters “Kosovo B”, which will cost 78m euros.

However, these investments are longer-term and are expected to take time.

The largest investment currently occurring in reducing air pollution is changing TB filters “Kosovo B”, which is being funded by the EU and will cost 78m euros. Investments in the area of reducing air pollution are very expensive and take time because air pollution problem is an inherited problem and as such difficult to overcome” quickly, says Leutrim Sahiti, spokesman at MMPH.

He also mentions investments with donor support, which have to do with informing and awareness of citizens of air pollution.

“Investime with donor support like: J I CA, EU, MCC, BB, UNDP, French Government, etc., we've done and done on the monitoring and reporting network of data, so that citizens are informed right, and we're also working in the area of citizen awareness because we as citizens in one form contribute to air pollution”, he says.

Polls for air and environmental pollution

MMPH during this year had jobs with irresponsible persons who contributed to air pollution.

Many fines were given in 2019, then a substantial amount of coal sold illegally was confiscated.

And we've confiscated the amount of coal that is sold illegally and illegally extracted. But for this responsibility it is KPMMM because this Commission has to stop at the source this problem”, the MMPH says.

A total of 2019 were awarded 1,000 and 500 fines for these violations.

About the fines given for environmental pollutants within this year have been given about 1500 fines under administrative instruction for penalties with mandate penalties. Besides that, our Inspectorate for greater violations has applied other sentences and initiatives to court”, the MMPH's response reported.

MMPH's extraordinary plan for such problems

From the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning say they have an action plan for air quality.

They do not completely cast off the possibility that if such a condition of air pollution continues, coal will be prohibited for family economies.

However, they emphasize that any decision made will be in full care and co-ordination with all sides.

The Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning has drafted the action plan for air quality, which was approved in Government. If the situation gets worse and the situation is then alarmed we as minister together with the Inter-ministerial Task Force will consider other possibilities for reducing pollution, including preventing coal use in the family economy or reducing the movement of cars in Pristina's assigned neighbourhoods. Any measures that will be undertaken will be carefully and co-ordinated with all parties”, the Environment Ministry's response to news.net says.

Pristina as the most polluted city, in the future according to the MMPH there will be expansion of solar heating, and in that form, the use of coal as fuel for heating will be reduced.

The “Inves that are being made by the Pristina municipality, with the support of international donors, to expand the network of co-generation or installation of solar heating will affect reducing pollution, since citizens will no longer need to use the coal for heating”, says MPMPH spokesman Leutrim Sahiti in the end.

Setting up river beds in all Kosovo municipalities, as well as building plants for sewage treatment, are some of the projects MMPH has started during its mandate and is continuing.

Also, the problem of securing drinking water for Kosovo's citizens is expected to be resolved with the construction of the KIW-Kremenet hydropower system, a project co-financed with the World Bank.