site.btaPernik Residents Move to Sofia Protest over Water Crisis

ESD 16:24:31 25-01-2020
PP1631ES.104
104 POLITICS - WATER CRISIS - PROTEST

Pernik Residents Hold Protest in Capital over
Water Crisis, Demand Resignation of PM
and Regional Development Minister


Sofia, January 25 (BTA) - Residents of Pernik held a protest rally in central Sofia at noon on Saturday over the water crisis in the city and demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and Regional Development Minister Petya Avramova, the Bulgarian National Television said. Media reports put the number of protesters in the hundreds.

The protest has been organized by a local initiative committee, called Save Pernik, and protesters wore yellow vests. Saturday's protest ended but the organizers said that they are going to held another rally in front of the Regional Development Ministry at noon on Monday and will raisr the same demands.

Severe water restrictions have been in place in Pernik since mid-November after it became clear that water in the Studena Dam which supplies the city with drinking water had reached critically low levels.

Environment Minister Neno Dimov was charged with deliberate mismanagement and resigned from his post.

On Saturday the residents of Pernik said that since the beginning of the crisis the responsibility of the Regional Development Ministry has been underestimated.

Their protest was backed by residents of the town of Bobov Dol who complain that air in the municipality is polluted as a result of waste burning at the local thermal power plant. Local people want the facility to stop burning waste.

Residents of Sliven and Sofia also joined the protest outside the building of the Council of Ministers, the Bulgarian National Radio reported. LN/PP

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