Prague, Jan 24 (CTK) – Czech towns and villages have not sufficiently used the law-embedded opportunities to fight smog, Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka (Social Democrats, CSSD) said after a visit to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMU) yesterday.
Czech regions have been afflicted by a heavy smog for several days and regulatory measures have been applied in some of them.
Environment Minister Richard Brabec (ANO) said his ministry is ready to provide specialist aid to self-rule authorities, but they themselves must work out instruments with which to fight smog.
“There is no need to quickly change any laws, the legislative framework is ready. It is only necessary for municipalities, regions and all of us to more intensively apply these instruments,” Sobotka said.
He said the situation in every town is different and that is why they themselves must take measures which would be the most suitable for the given area.
“The smog situation has remembered us of how necessary it is to devote ourselves to improving the state of the air in our country,” Sobotka said.
“The correctness of focus placed on making use of means to limit pollution caused by home heating has been confirmed. The investments in cutting industrial emissions have also proved to be rewarding,” Sobotka said.
He said transport is the biggest problem in view of the future. He said the construction of road bypasses is a way towards improving the situation in agglomerations in the long run.
Electric and hybrid electric vehicles and public transport also need to be supported, Sobotka said.
Brabec said towns and villages have been able to choose the best way of transport regulation by themselves according to a law which became effective five years ago already.
The smog alert situation is declared when the concentration of airborne dust exceeds 100 micrograms per cubic metre in 12 hours at minimally a half of meteorological stations and when no decrease is expected in the next 24 hours.
Regulation is declared when the 12-hour average of concentration of dust crosses 150 micrograms.
ms/dr/pv
