Skopje, 27 December 2023 (MIA) – The PM10 particle alert threshold at two measuring stations in Skopje has been exceeded, said the Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning on Wednesday.

The PM10 particle alert threshold is exceeded when 150 мg/m3 are measured two days in a row.

“According to the conclusions included in minutes of the 40th session of the government, held on November 28, 2017, PM10 particle alert recommendations and measures enter into force,” the Ministry said.

The Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning in cooperation with the Ministry of Health are obliged to:

· Recommend to all legal entities (employers) to release pregnant women, people over 60 years of age, as well as people with chronic asthma, previous myocardial infarction or stroke, regardless of age, with the recommendation of a family doctor.

· They recommend to all legal entities (employers) to reorganize the working hours and the persons working outdoors to work from 11:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m.

· They recommend not to organize sports competitions and other cultural events outdoors.

· They provide conditions for increased activities of emergency medical services, home visits and patronage services.

The Government of the Republic of North Macedonia:

· То oblige all state administration bodies, agencies, funds, bureaus, institutes, public enterprises and AD in state ownership, as well as local self-government units to reduce (up to 50%) the use of official vehicles.

· To ensure limitation of construction works.

The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy in cooperation with the Red Cross, the Health Center and the Local Self-Government Units:

· To provide shelters for housing the homeless.

· To provide support to elderly lonely persons through organized visits.

The Ministry of Health:

· To oblige the Emergency Medical Service to submit information to the IPH on the number of calls (according to diagnosis/code of ICD 19, gender, age, place of residence/municipality), for the duration of the episode of alarming air pollution on a daily basis up to completion of the episode and one week after completion.

State Environmental Inspectorate:

· To start performing frequent control of the Installations that have an A-IPPC permit, to carry out control measurements of the emissions of polluting substances in the ambient air with an accredited laboratory in order to determine whether the prescribed conditions/measures in the Permit are applied in terms of emissions in the air.

The Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning will prepare and submit:

· Recommendations to the Installations that have an A-IPPC permit, to reduce the production capacity (up to 50%), which means that the installations that produce heat or electricity will be excluded from this measure.

Local Self-Government Units are obliged to implement the measures prescribed in the short-term plans or short-term measures adopted by the Councils of the municipalities.

Photo: MIA archive/ Ministry of Environment and Physical Planning print screen