Zagreb Residents Demand Soil Probe Amid Fears of Ecological Disaster in Borovje

Residents of Zagreb's Borovje neighborhood have penned an open letter to Mayor Tomislav Tomašević, demanding a comprehensive and independent investigation into the soil and underground conditions of their area. Their plea stems from long-standing suspicions of potential contamination, fueled by past media reports and expert warnings about illegal waste disposal.

The residents are urging the city to release results from any prior investigations and to halt plans for intensive construction on Borovje's green spaces until the actual state of the land is determined. They specifically question what geophysical surveys have revealed, whether any registered metal objects have been excavated, and if any soil contamination has been confirmed.

"We are not claiming that Borovje is contaminated. Quite the opposite, we are asking for a professional, independent, and comprehensive investigation to reliably determine that it is not," the letter states. They are also requesting data on any studies of deeper soil layers and groundwater.

Recalling reports from 2014 about suspicions of continuous hazardous waste dumping, the residents highlight that expert warnings about buried metal objects were also raised. Despite a geophysical survey being mentioned at the time, they assert that no official investigation was ever conducted. The neighborhood's original plan included a green corridor and public park, and over 1,000 citizen objections were reportedly filed during public discussions for the "UPU Borovje – zone jug" plan, citing concerns about greenery, infrastructure, and quality of life, alongside waste-related risks.

"The discoveries we have witnessed are an additional reason to treat this area with extreme caution," the residents warned. They expressed a strong desire to avoid Borovje becoming another "ecological disaster" case, where questions about who knew, who checked, and why no one acted would arise years later.