Waste management crisis in western Serbia

Municipalities in western Serbia are experiencing escalating waste management crises. In Tutina, the Golo brdo landfill has been inoperable for nearly a year due to a blockade, leading to massive waste accumulation near the Vidrenjak river. Local authorities in Novi Pazar and Tutina have sought state assistance to address the situation.

The crisis has expanded to include Čačak, where waste has accumulated at the JKP ‘Komunalac’ premises following a fire at the Duboko landfill and subsequent citizen protests. While 40 million dinars were allocated for new processing equipment, the machinery has not yet arrived.

In Novi Pazar, the lack of a permanent landfill site persists. Faruk Suljević, director of JKP ‘Gradska čistoća’, noted that finding suitable locations is difficult due to the proximity of residential areas, agricultural land, and riverbeds. Currently, transporting waste from Novi Pazar to other cities incurs daily costs exceeding 10,000 euros. The Ministry of Environmental Protection has reportedly promised to assist with financing and locating a new site.