Residents protest against landfill in Shishmantsi

Hundreds of residents from four villages in Rakovski municipality, Plovdiv district, gathered in the morning on August 14 to protest against the operation of the waste processing facility near the village of Shishmantsi. Tensions escalate as a result of another landfill fire that has been going on for the third day in a row. Although fire fighting teams work non-stop, it is unclear when the fire will be extinguished.

People demand tighter controls on the work of the waste processing plant. They are adamant that they have been affected by the landfill fires for years.

Stanka Georgieva: We want to get something to be done because we can't breathe, there are kids and old people with respiratory diseases, with asthma… we can't go out.

Magdalena Atanasova: We woke up at three o'clock last night and although the windows are closed, we could not breathe in the room.

The mayor of Rakovski municipality sent a signal to the Prime Minister asking for help because of another fire at the landfill.

Pavel Gudzherov, Mayor of Rakovski Municipality: Our requests for the time being are for the safe operation of the plant, for increasing the security measures, for fire safety and, ultimately, if this plant cannot function safely, yes, it should be closed.

Stanka Georgieva: Yes, of course we will protest. We want or stop these things, this is a disease, germs.

The plant manager told BNT that much of the demands of the people and mayors have already been met.

Stoyan Gidikov, manager of the waste processing plant: A thermal camera was purchased, 4 cameras were installed for video surveillance, which will directly monito the landfill. We are in talks with a security company that will guard the landfill ... even though there is a pretty serious CCTV equipment in the plant. There is a porter, the landfill is completely surrounded by a network.

Measurements on air quality continue today. So far, no deviations have been found.