The air quality in Peja on Monday was poor.
This is what the electronic monitor for measuring air quality in real time, located in the town square by the environmental organization of Peja “Let Do Do Peja”, showed.
This gauge shows the real-time parameters of the level of carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, ozone and dust particles in the air released by various gases.
In this electronic visual touch screen (Touchscreen), the citizen can read a lot of information not only about air quality, but also about air pollutants, health consequences from air pollution and various recommendations to protect the air from pollution.
The inauguration of this digital monitor for air quality monitoring was accompanied by a group of primary school students, who held in their hands various banners with inscriptions among others: “Stop air pollution because we are polluting our lives”, “Stop pollution of air ”,“ Stop environmental pollution ”,“ CO2 create Ozone ”,“ Using a bicycle healthier than a car ”.
“We have placed it here in the city square which is very frequented, which showed the citizens of Peja how much air pollution is in real time and what they can do to prevent air pollution. So it is not only an information screen for air quality in real time, but also for the awareness of citizens for the protection of air from pollution “, said Gent Agolli from the environmental organization” Let’s Do It Peja “, before the inauguration of this monitor with a cost over 6 thousand euros.
This monitor was installed in the framework of the project for raising institutional and civic awareness against air pollution “United for Clean Air – United for Air”, funded by the European Union Office in Kosovo and with the support of the Municipality of Peja.
“Let each of us contribute to use as many alternative means of movement as possible, such as bicycles, and to walk more in the city and to use less vehicles for movement in the city. And for heating to use heaters that do not cause air pollution “, said Rajan Arapi, municipal director for Urbanism and Environmental Protection.
The installation of this monitor within the project “United for Air”, in order to improve air quality in Peja, was preceded by planting seedlings last week in two high schools in Peja, in public kindergartens and in the premises of Peja General Hospital, as well as a draft report published last month on air quality in Peja and the situation created by various air pollutants.
According to that report, the number of air pollutants in Peja and the main sources of air pollution has increased, according to this report, in the first place is traffic, as the largest source of air pollution. Then there are bakeries, kebab shops, pizzerias, restaurants, hotels, as well as private and public facilities, which use wood, coal, pellets and fuel oil for heating, factories that use used oils for heating, old tires and textile businesses. , which often burn textiles for heating, substances that are prohibited.
In this draft report, as well as in the air quality monitor, there are also recommendations for improving air quality, among which the installation of filters in the chimneys of potential polluters, the maximum reduction of the use of fossil fuels, the enterprise of the initiative for the construction of the city heating plant, the construction of bicycle paths, the prohibition of the registration of old and unfiltered vehicles, to do more to promote air quality and the impact of polluted air on human health. Therefore, as the representatives of the environmental organization “Let’s do it Peja” said, this monitor and air quality measurements aim to raise awareness of citizens to improve air quality and awareness of polluting businesses to install filters for cleaning gas emitted into the air.
