Veles, 4 April 2023 (MIA) — After the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning switched off the air quality monitoring station located in a Veles preschool due to hazardous PM2.5 and PM10 levels that were "too high, but unrealistic because they were caused by dust from nearby roadworks," Veles residents voiced Tuesday their outrage at the environmental authorities' withholding air pollution data.

According to MIA's Veles correspondent, residents said the Environment Ministry's decision to stop measuring particle pollution was taking away their insight into daily PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations.

Residents also complained about the roadworks going on since Jan. 27. They said the dust was not only harming their health by making it difficult to breathe but the roadworks were making it dangerous to walk down the sidewalk or drive in the dug-up street.

Announcing on Monday that they would switch off the air quality monitoring station, environment authorities said in their press release that "since the source of pollution is too close to the station, the measured concentrations do not give a relevant picture of the air quality in Veles." 

They said they would stop monitoring particulate matter levels "also to protect the instruments from excessive concentrations of dust." 

The Ministry of Environment advised Veles residents to protect themelves from the dust and told local authorities to "complete the roadworks faster and in the meantime have the contractor spray the construction site more often so it would stay wet."

In response to MIA, Katerina Nikolova from the Ministry of Environment said Tuesday the station would not be measuring particulate matter levels but would continue monitoring other air pollutants.

"Due to the possibility of damage to the PM10 and PM2.5 monitors' sensitive membranes due to excessive concentrations of these particles due to the roadworks, they have been switched off," Nikolova told MIA.

"When the Municipality instructs the contractor of the roadworks to spray the street more often so it stays wet, then the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning will turn the PM10 and PM2.5 monitors back on," she said.

Hazardous levels of inhalable particles measured in Veles on April 1 and 2 prompted the Municipality of Veles to issue an air pollution advisory, encouraging residents to reduce other sources of indoor smoke and dust, including burning waste oil, trash and plastic as well as to reduce time spent outdoors and to limit driving by using public transit. mr/