Deputy Minister of National Defence Wojciech Skurkiewicz said that 150 soldiers of the Territorial Defence Forces have been placed at the disposal of the Lubuskie Voivode. “If necessary, soldiers from the 11th Lubuska Armoured Cavalry Division will also be available”, announced the deputy minister during a press conference on the pollution of the Oder River
Thousands of fish have been poisoned as a result of the pollution of the Oder River in the Lower Silesian and Lubuskie Voivodeships. A few days ago, the river was polluted at the level of Olawa in Lower Silesia. The water has become turbid and smelly, with masses of dead fish floating on the surface. The Marshal of the Lubuskie Voivodeship, Elżbieta Polak, announced that a request would be made to the government to declare a state of natural disaster.
“From the point of view of Polish Waters (Wody Polskie), there has been a very serious ecological disaster indeed,” said the Wody Polskie CEO Przemysław Daca, commenting on the mass fish extinction in the Oder. He added that at least 10 tonnes of dead fish have been taken from the river, which shows that we are dealing with a “gigantic and appalling ecological disaster”.
“Residents of the region should not unnecessarily approach the Oder River, enter the polluted water or touch the dead fish”, urge the services and warn people not to come to the Oder River with pets that could drink the water or eat the dead fish.
Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki wrote on Facebook that the polluters of the Oder will not go unpunished. The head of government assured that the government will do everything to ensure that the disaster is explained and the guilty are severely punished.
The Prime Minister said that the Ministry of Infrastructure, together with Polish Water, is working to protect the area and residents from the further impact of the contamination. Officials from the Chief Inspectorate of Environmental Protection are also working on the case. Samples are also being taken for testing in the areas of operation of more Provincial Environmental Protection Inspectorates.
Arkadiusz Słomczyński