Moldovan Village Chokes on Landfill Smoke
Villagers in Țarigrad are embroiled in a growing environmental crisis stemming from a nearby landfill located in the town of Drochia.
For the past week, the landfill has been ablaze, spewing toxic fumes that have engulfed the village. Local officials, including Mayor Sergiu Rusu, have reached out to Drochia's mayor, Nina Cereteu, and the Ministry of Environment, but their pleas for intervention have gone unanswered.
The landfill lies just a few hundred metres from the first houses in Țarigrad village, and the incessant smoke has rendered life there nearly unbearable. Residents report struggling to breathe and facing sleepless nights due to the noxious fumes. The situation has become particularly dire for those with pre-existing health conditions, with reports of increased ambulance visits to the village.
"It's like there's fog in our yards," lamented one villager. "We can't breathe, the smoke is so thick you can't even see the trees. With this heat, opening a window is unthinkable. We're trapped inside with our children, suffocating. This has been going on for a week now, ever since the hot weather arrived. My little girl has been battling cancer for two years, and now the neighbours with high blood pressure and asthma are also suffering. It's been getting progressively worse over the past four years."
Another villager recounted the ordeal of witnessing the fire erupt: "As usual, the landfill ignites on Friday and Saturday nights. My husband and I were there when it started this time. It was horrific! The flames even reached a nearby strip of forest. There was only one fire engine on the scene, and the overwhelmed firefighter had to call for reinforcements from Edineț and Bălți, but no help came. The fire raged all night, choking us with smoke. We had to keep our windows shut, making it impossible to sleep. On top of everything, I'm diabetic."
Many villagers, particularly women, expressed frustration at the pervasive smoke smell that has infiltrated their homes and belongings. "The smell is especially bad in the mornings and at night," shared another villager. "I have to rely on the air conditioner and keep the windows closed all the time. Washing clothes is pointless because everything gets permeated with the smoke stench."
Mayor Rusu acknowledges the gravity of the situation for the villagers of Țarigrad. He has expressed his helplessness due to the landfill's location within Drochia's jurisdiction. The mayor has made repeated attempts to contact Drochia's city hall and the Ministry of Environment in recent days, but his efforts have been met with silence. He is demanding the landfill's relocation and has threatened to join the villagers in blocking access to the site if his demands are not met.
"Together with the villagers, we have submitted petitions to the Drochia City Council and the Ministry of Environment, urging them to help us find a solution," stated Mayor Rusu. "Discussions are underway to identify an alternative location for the landfill. Unfortunately, I haven't received any response to the petition I submitted three days ago, which has already garnered a significant number of signatures from the villagers."
The village of Țarigrad, located in Drochia district, has a population of approximately 3,800 residents.
Translation by Iurie Tataru
