Sarajevo: Increased Air Pollution, Do Not Burn Waste, Be Mindful of What You Burn

The expert body for coordination and supervision, formed with the task of continuously monitoring the air quality situation in Sarajevo Canton, announces that increased values of pollutants in the air have been measured today as well, especially PM10 particulate matter, while concentrations of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides are within permitted limits, reports the Bosnian news agency Patria.

- Continuous air quality monitoring conducted via reference automatic stations shows frequent oscillations in measured values, which is contributed to by more favorable meteorological conditions characterized by sunny weather for most of the day. However, increased concentrations of pollutants in the air are still expected due to the presence of fog in the late night and early morning hours.

Given the current situation, a READINESS episode is in effect, declared based on the Plan of Emergency Measures in Cases of Excessive Air Pollution in Sarajevo Canton. In order to reduce emissions and decrease pollution, an appeal is made to vehicle owners, citizens, and legal entities that own or use boiler rooms or furnaces to take all available measures so as not to worsen the already unfavorable situation through their activities, i.e., not to contribute to further air pollution, which has a harmful effect on the health of the population and the entire natural and built environment.

A special warning concerns the strict prohibition of burning waste in households, business and commercial entities, with the note that all suspicions of these punishable acts can be reported to the competent inspections of the municipalities and the Canton.

Also, all entities obliged to implement the Plan of Emergency Measures are required to adhere to the defined tasks, which particularly applies to the Ministry of Interior of Sarajevo Canton, which is obliged to intensify vehicle checks on roads.  

The warning to at-risk population groups to reduce movement during times of increased air pollution remains in effect.