Why Authorities Made No Conclusions After Chernobyl NPP Accident?

Only the change of power will solve ecological problems in the country.

Precisely 33 years ago, on April 26, 1986, an explosion occurred at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Of all the countries that were affected by its consequences, Belarus suffered the most in percentage terms.

It would seem that the authorities should draw conclusions from what happened and do everything to ensure that people do not have even the slightest idea that an environmental tragedy can happen again.

But money is money. In 2020, the Belarusian NPP, which is being built in violation of all international regulations and standards, is supposed to start working in our country. Harmful Chinese enterprises began to appear in Belarus, like mushrooms after the rain, which cause great harm to the health of Belarusians. Residents of Brest for about a year have been protesting against a harmful battery plant. In Svetlahorsk, where they built a Chinese bleached pulp plant, the locals complain of caustic emissions.

Have the authorities made conclusions from the Chernobyl accident? The website Charter97.org addressed this question to Aliaksandr Kabanau, an active participant in the protests in Brest, and Alena Maslyukova, a human rights activist from Svetlahorsk.

Aliaksandr Kabanau: All the authorities think about is money

Activist and blogger Aliaksandr Kabanau believes that ecology and health of Belarusians is not a priority for the authorities:

“I think that due to the fact that they have a very bad economic situation, they do not pay attention to the environment. They just need money.”

In the meantime, trial products were launched at the battery plant in Brest:

“Trial products were released to be tested; one cannot say that this is the launch of the plant. Honestly, I thought that there would be some other test of aspiration, ventilation, and then we could talk about production. But a completely different decision was made,” said Aliaksandr Kabanau.

Alena Maslyukova: Ecological issues will not go anywhere, while Lukashenka is sitting on his throne

Human rights activist from Svetlahorsk told Charter97.org that officials did not make any conclusions after the Chernobyl disaster.

“It seems to me that the further we move away from the Chernobyl tragedy, the more indifferent the authorities are to this problem.

When in harmful emissions from the bleached pulp plant started to float in Svetlahorsk in September 2018, the children just started school. It was simply impossible to breathe. Parents asked me to write an appeal to the education department so that children would not be taken outside, as this is simply harmful. Nobody paid attention to our appeal and we were ignored. They said that there was no harm.

In January 2018, I went to an appointment with the head of the education department and made an audio recording of the conversation. I asked who gave the order that the kindergarten teachers would take the children out for a walk while this terrible stench was filling the town. Who tried to make a picture of safety and well-being? She tried to change the topic for about 13 minutes, but did not say that it was her who signed the order.

Then I asked the chairman of the district executive committee: “Who gave the order to take the children out for walks?”. He replied in the style of Lukashenka, saying, “if I only find out who did it!”

I replied that he knew perfectly well who gave these orders.

The head of the education department stated that “Belarus has found an adequate way out of the Chernobyl problem”. I felt horrible. Belarus has not even got out of this problem by half. Look at the number of cancer patients in the country! There are problems, but the authorities are so morally and materially impoverished that they don’t want to notice them.”

Alena Maslyukova pays attention to another problem - the authorities do not want ecology to be talked about publicly:

“A vivid example is the refusal of the authorities to pay the police for holding the “Chernobyl way” action this year. They just don’t allow the people to express their opinions and turn attention tot he problem.”

Svetlahorsk human rights activist believes that environmental problems in the country will be properly addressed to when political issues are resolved:

“Just look how many Chinese factories are appearing everywhere. Just yesterday, Svetlahorsk was filled with such a stench, it was simply terrifying. And the head of the ideology department tells me: “This is not harmful.” How come not harmful? Japanese and Russian doctors have long recognized the problem. As long as this system exists, while Lukashenka is sitting on the throne - environmental problems will not go anywhere. ”

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