Resident near Sjenica on hunger strike, demands closure of illegal landfill
Translated from Serbian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
TLDR
- Nebojša Vasojević, a resident of Donji Goračići near Sjenica, has begun a hunger strike demanding the closure of an illegal landfill.
- Vasojević accuses the local court, prosecution, and authorities of corruption and abuse of power for allowing the landfill to operate near the Uvac River.
- Despite previous court orders and inspections mandating closure, the landfill continues to operate, causing environmental damage and attracting stray dogs that pose a threat to livestock.
The plight of Nebojša Vasojević in Donji Goračići, near Sjenica, highlights a deeply troubling issue of environmental neglect and the struggle of ordinary citizens against systemic inaction. Vasojević's hunger strike is a desperate measure, born from years of frustration as an illegal landfill, described as an "ecological bomb," continues to poison the pristine nature near the Uvac River, a vital watercourse.
Leglo kriminala
What is particularly galling is the alleged corruption and "self-will" of the judicial and local authorities. Despite court decisions and inspection rulings ordering the closure and remediation of the dump, these directives have seemingly been ignored. Instead of solutions, residents who dared to protest and block the landfill faced legal repercussions, including Vasojević himself being fined and even sentenced to conditional imprisonment. This inversion of justice—punishing those who expose environmental catastrophe while enabling its continuation—is a stark indictment of the system.
Marš, fašisti
The environmental consequences are severe: burning waste pollutes the land and river, while hazardous materials, including slaughterhouse waste, attract packs of stray dogs. These animals, a direct result of the landfill's presence, have attacked livestock, causing significant losses for locals like Vasojević. The fact that the Uvac River, a protected waterway, is threatened by this unregulated dumping, while nearby communities rely on its water, underscores the scale of the ecological and public health crisis. Vasojević's courageous stand is a call for accountability, demanding that authorities uphold the law and protect the environment they are sworn to safeguard.
To je prava ekološka bomba. Otpad gori, zagađuje zemljište i reku Uvac. Postojale su sudske odluke i rešenja inspekcije o zatvaranju i saniranju deponije, ali to se nije sprovelo
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by N1 Serbia in Serbian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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