EU funds massive clean air effort in Kosovo скачать в хорошем качестве

EU funds massive clean air effort in Kosovo

(20 Dec 2019) The European Union is investing more than 80 million euros (89 million US dollars) to improve the air quality in Kosovo, whose capital of Pristina is choking from pollution by coal-based power plants, coal and wood heating in homes and old vehicles on the roads. Luigi Brusa of the European Union office in Kosovo on Friday said that during the last few days the air in Pristina was like that of Beijing, considered one of the most polluted cities in the world. The U.S. embassy's air quality monitor has shown PM2.5 pollution levels higher than 50, considered the maximum level accepted, rising up to 213 on Sunday. School children on Friday wore masks when walking to schools in the foggy capital. To highlight the problems, face masks were also put on statues of Mother Teresa and former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. Nysrete Doda, a Pristina resident walking her child to school, said even the air in her home was bad because she had forgotten to close a window overnight. Smoke from the Kosova B power plant in Obiliq, 10 kilometres (6 miles) from Pristina, creates a regular cloud over the capital. Brussels has signed a contract with Kosovo authorities to invest 76 million euro (83 million US dollars) to refurbish the plant, starting in May next year, to reduce the dust it produces, according to Brusa. The EU is also investing 7 million euros (7.6 million US dollars) to increase the capacity of the central Termokos heating system for 2,000 more households, or about 10,000 residents, including schools and kindergartens. Outgoing Environment Minister Fatmir Matoshi says public institutions do not use coal for heating anymore and giving coal sacks to power corporation employees as a reward has stopped. "We speak to the people, we let them know how dangerous the situation can be especially in the winter," Matoshi said. "We ask the people for help, because every single citizen in Pristina can help in this problem, not using the cars as much, not using the heating as much and different other activities they can do in accordance that we will have some better air in Pristina and Kosovo wide," he added. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...