Danube Day raises pollution awareness

Danube Day raises pollution awareness

“Major polluters of the Danube are industrial zones, such as Pančevo and Bačka Palanka,” he said, adding that the plants in these zones required urgent installation of purification filters, the government’s web site said.

“Installation of those filters requires great investments, but after the Stabilization and Association Agreement is signed, EU pre-accession funds will be opened and used in suppressing water pollution,” Dragin stressed.

He made an analysis of water sample taken from the Danube between Belgrade and Pančevo which showed that pH value of the water to be within normal limits.

The Danube Day was established on June 29, 2004, to celebrate 10 years of cooperation between governmental and non-governmental bodies, scientific institutions and industries, following the signing of the Danube Convention in 1994.

It has since become a fixed event in the calendars of ministers and water management organizations throughout the basin.

Dragin announced that during the summer, the Argus would set out on an expedition along the entire course of the Danube River to collect samples of water and sediments from the bottom of the river at various points, assessing the quality of water.

The expedition is a joint project of 14 countries, signatories of the Danube Convention.