Efforts to Stop Waste from Pouring into Hungary

Garbage collection dams are being installed on several Romanian rivers along the Romanian-Hungarian border to prevent waste floating in the water from crossing into Hungary.

Sándor Pásztor, head of the water management directorate of Bihor County in Transylvania, Romania told the Romanian news agency Agerpres that the hydro-technical devices are being installed in the county's border region on sections of the Berettyó, Sebes-Körös and Fekete-Körös rivers.

According to the director, the water authority has secured EUR 650,000 in international funding for the purpose, and the floating waste collection equipment is to be installed by December 2024. He said a similar device is already in use near Oradea, collecting large quantities of waste. The equipment directs the floating waste close to the shore where it is then dredged up.

Sándor Pásztor pointed out that the Water Directorate is not in charge of collecting rubbish but they are trying to remedy the situation of people not being educated and to prevent the rubbish from crossing into Hungary. He said that the problem is worse on the Sámi and the Tisza rivers, with the former transporting garbage from the Bistrița and Cluj Napoca area and the latter from Ukraine. The Bihar section of the basin of the Körös river is being cleaned more frequently, and new hydro-technical equipment is planned for the Ier and Berettyó rivers.

For years, Romania has been seriously polluting its rivers with tones of plastic bottles and wood, some of which ends up in Hungary.