Uncollected rubbish is piling up on the streets of the southern Bosnian city of Mostar – one of the Balkan nation’s main tourist destinations – since residents began blocking access to the city’s sole landfill.
They claim that it poses serious health and environmental risks.
The landfill, located in a residential area, has operated since the 1960s.
It is supposed to be for non-hazardous household waste but protesters say authorities in recent years have allowed businesses to dump hazardous animal and medical waste and wastewater treatment sludge there.
Several hundred protesters started blocking access to the landfill 10 days ago, demanding it be decontaminated.
The protests were sparked by leaked water treatment test results that reportedly indicated a strong likelihood of dangerous concentrations in the sludge of highly toxic chemical pollutants known as PCBs.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here