Bulgaria: Brestovitsa Residents Protest Against Muddy and Polluted Tap Water

For the past four years, residents of the picturesque village of Brestovitsa in Plovdiv have been grappling with a troubling issue: muddy water contaminated with manganese flowing from their taps. Despite ongoing efforts to address the problem, frustration levels are reaching a boiling point, leading to yet another round of protests.

According to a report by BNT, villagers are gathering for a warning action, signaling their readiness to escalate protests and even block roads in the district if necessary. Lubomir Tomov, the organizer of the protest, expressed the dire situation, highlighting the toll it has taken on the community's health and well-being.

"There's no solution; we're dealing with it the same way as four years ago - with a lot of nerves, fetching water from wherever going to hospitals, and buying medicine. When the water isn't fit for drinking, health problems arise", Tomov explained during an interview on bTV.

In response to the outcry, authorities have outlined steps to mitigate the crisis. Yordan Chemishev, the chief engineer of VIK-Plovdiv, shed light on recent developments, mentioning the discovery of new wells and collaborative efforts with the Rodopi Municipality to address the water supply challenges.

"There are newly discovered wells. We are collaborating with the Rodopi Municipality. There are three new wells on Joakim Gruevo's land. The good news, as of yesterday, is that our manager has signed the loan agreement for the construction of one of the sections that will bring water to the Brestovitsa network", Chemishev explained.