VIDEO | The Markova river has turned black, polluted water from Drisla flows through the bed
Instead of water in the Markova Reka, leachate flows from the lake from the Drisla landfill. Residents of the village of Batinci told "Sloboden Pechat" that a terrible stench spreads around the river and it is unbearable to go near the water.
– It is not the first time that the river has turned black. Every time it rains it's the same. There is a lake in the Drisla landfill which overflows when it rains and flows into the Markova River - say the residents. They have already reported to the Environment Inspectorate and are waiting for the inspectors to go out in the field.
This is the second environmental disaster that has occurred in Markova Reka in a year.
Last year JP "Drisla" was sanctioned for discharging water from the landfill in Markova Reka. The State Environmental Inspectorate, after the extraordinary surveillance in the landfill on September 4, 2023, determined that certain concentrations are within the permitted limits, but others are above the maximum permitted limit.
DIŽS submitted a request to initiate misdemeanor proceedings against the legal entity JPDKO Drisla Skopje and against the manager, before the Basic Criminal Court in Skopje due to the refusal to sign the Memorandum of Agreement by the director of the Public Enterprise for the Disposal of Municipal Waste Drisla Skopje, after the extraordinary supervision. Then the fine was 120 thousand euros and 6 thousand euros for the manager, for pollution of the Markova Reka.
According to the DIŽS, on the same day, the accredited environmental laboratory EUROMAK CONTROL Skopje took samples from three places for water analysis from Markova Reka, as well as one additional sample submitted by citizens from Batinci.
The findings of the visual surveillance and the results of the accredited laboratory that analyzed the samples, determined concentrations of polluting substances above the permitted limit values and they originated from the discharge from the landfill.
"Sloboden Pechat" has been following the events with Drisla and Markova Reka from the very beginning. Residents of the village claimed that water is constantly being released from the landfill into the river and that there is constant pollution.
