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Dolen Balvan villagers allege livestock farm waste dumping into Bregalnica River
Residents of the Macedonian village of Dolen Balvan submitted photographs and a formal complaint to the State Environmental Inspectorate, accusing a nearby livestock farm of discharging liquid animal waste into a drainage channel that feeds the Bregalnica River. The villagers say the practice has persisted for years and that a person can be seen in the images physically pushing the waste into the water.
The Bregalnica River supplies irrigation water for agricultural lands across the region, and the community warns that contamination could threaten crops and drinking‑water wells. The complainants also allege that the farm’s owner may have close ties with a municipal inspector in Štip, raising concerns about local oversight. Levica, a Macedonian political party, has called for an urgent extraordinary inspection by the State Environmental Inspectorate, sampling of the water, and criminal proceedings if violations are verified.
The party referenced a recent water‑contamination incident in Gostivar, where thousands of residents were exposed to fecally polluted water after institutional failings, underscoring the urgency of swift action to prevent a repeat of such an environmental disaster.
Entities
Bregalnica River · Dolen Balvan · Dolni Balvan · Karbinci Municipality · Levica · Livestock farm (owner unnamed) · State Environment Inspection of Macedonia · State Environmental Inspectorate
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [● 5 SOURCES] The waste is being poured into a channel that directly feeds the Bregalnica River, which is used for irrigation of agricultural land in the region. antropol.mk · skopje1.mk · libertas.mk · nezavisen.mk
- [● 5 SOURCES] Villagers suspect the farm owner has close ties with a municipal inspector in Štip, potentially influencing local oversight. antropol.mk · skopje1.mk · libertas.mk · nezavisen.mk
- [● 5 SOURCES] Levica publicly called for the State Environmental Inspectorate to lead the investigation rather than local authorities. antropol.mk · skopje1.mk · libertas.mk · nezavisen.mk
- [● 5 SOURCES] A recent incident in Gostivar exposed thousands of residents to water contaminated with feces due to institutional failures. antropol.mk · skopje1.mk · libertas.mk · nezavisen.mk
- [● 5 SOURCES] A person can be seen in the photographs physically pushing waste into the water. antropol.mk · skopje1.mk · libertas.mk · nezavisen.mk
- [● 5 SOURCES] The State Environmental Inspectorate was asked to conduct an urgent extraordinary inspection, take water samples, and pursue criminal charges if violations are confirmed. antropol.mk · skopje1.mk · libertas.mk · nezavisen.mk
- [● 5 SOURCES] Villagers of Dolen Balvan submitted photographs and a complaint to the State Environmental Inspectorate alleging that liquid animal waste from a livestock farm has been discharged into a channel that antropol.mk · skopje1.mk · libertas.mk · nezavisen.mk
- [● 5 SOURCES] The alleged dumping has been occurring for years. antropol.mk · skopje1.mk · libertas.mk · nezavisen.mk