Croatia faces mounting waste problems in Pula and Karlovac‑Lika regions

In Pula, garbage has accumulated along Cankareva street, blocking part of the pedestrian walkway and the roadway. Residents report that containers are being overfilled not only by locals but also by vehicles bringing waste from other parts of the city, especially during the tourist season when restaurants dump large black PVC bags of food waste. The complainant suggested installing cameras and improving enforcement to stop the practice.

In the Karlovac and Lika region, parliamentary representative Zvonimir Troskot highlighted a serious water‑quality crisis. Several districts of Karlovac suffer from murky, contaminated water, affecting the main hospital and causing diarrhoea among schoolchildren. He warned that a county‑wide water‑management project is failing, with the director lacking necessary qualifications. Troskot also warned of roughly one million tonnes of hazardous waste dumped in Lika over the past decade, some allegedly imported from Italy and possibly COVID‑related medical waste. Both issues point to broader problems of illegal waste disposal, inadequate infrastructure and potential corruption in local authorities.