Dead pigs, cows and calves found in Lukashenka's home land (Photo)

Dwellers of the village of Staraselye, Shklou region, are concerned over deterioration of the

They state that local agricultural enterprises have contaminated the forest, the river of Byaroza and Troitskaye Lake by their sewage.

The conflict with the management of “Aleksandryjskaye” joint-stock company started after people found numerous burial sites and runoffs of animal manure from farms. As said by dwellers of Staraselye, the ecological state of the village deteriorated after several large livestock breeding complexes were built there, Radio Svaboda informs.

“The smell there is horrible, especially in spring and summer, when liquid manure disposing starts. The management promised us that carrion which had been scattered behind the village – dead pigs, cows, calves – to process plants. But it is not clear how it would be done. Meanwhile, construction goes on. A huge poultry farm is being built near the village,” explains the initiator of collection of signatures under the appeal to the Environment and Preservation of Nature Ministry Inessa Yakauleva.

The initiative group has collected several dozens of signatures of village dwellers:

“Inhabitants of Staraselye, who work at all these complexes, signed our ecological proposals. Those who work there, they support us subconsciously, but they do not speak their mind. They are dependant on the management of the enterprise, they live in the houses of “Aleksandryjskaye” joint-stock company. Each one fears for one’s job, they fear to lose their earnings. People are very weak,” say initiators of the action.

The fact that people lodged a complaint to the Environment and Preservation of Nature Ministry, was confirmed by its regional committee:

“On instructions from the ministry we checked these facts indeed. But I cannot say anything to you now, as the answer is in the process of preparation. Today they say they are to finish it, and the official answer would be sent to the residents of Staraselye,” noted a representative of the Committee in a conversation over the phone.

The burial sites for animal refuses which had been found, have been liquidated already. But not all of them, as it turned out. It was no trouble to find an animal burial site. It was created 100 metres from the road to Shklou, next to the fence of milk and goods complex. The burial site attracts attention by huge numbers of birds and stench which is felt even when the frost is minus 20⁰ C. It is hard to say how many cows and calves are in the burial site, but it is clear they had been taken here for many days. The committee promised to find out who and when made the animal burial site.

Over the time of the conflict regional head officials and management of the company met with the dwellers of the village. Now they claim that collection of signatures had been made fraudulently, however they admit some cases of violation of environment laws.

The livestock breeding complexes in Staraselye are owned by “Aleksandryjskaye” joint-stock company. They were created at the premises of the collective farm headed by Alyaksandr Lukashenka once. Official sources state that complexes had been build according to the latest agricultural technologies.