The project rehabilitated an illegal dump site and completed the municipal system for permanent waste removal in the village of Čirč, in the Stará Ľubovňa district in Slovakia’s Prešov region. This helped improve living conditions for the village’s Roma community.
- 15 July 2020
The implementation of the project resulted in significantly improved living conditions for the marginalised Roma community in the village, with the construction of waste collection stations and the rehabilitation of an illegal dump site.
Implementation of the project, which included the construction of waste collection stations and the provision of waste collection containers, significantly improved the living conditions of the 179 marginalised Roma inhabitants.
The project and its implementation promoted environmental protection through the rehabilitation of the illegal dump site. The village lies at an altitude of 510 m, at the north-western foothills of the Čergov Mountain, and is a starting point for tourists hiking on the mountain.
Two jobs for Roma residents
The project created two jobs for Roma citizens. One involves completion of the system of sorted waste and collection of municipal waste. The second is for the implementation of rehabilitation works at the former illegal dump and preventing the recurrence of illegal dumps.
The Roma residents of Čirč make up about 25 % of the population and are concentrated in a separate community of more than 40 houses.
Preventing illegal dumping
As part of the project’s sustainability, the municipality organises regular information meetings for all inhabitants, including the Roma, to help prevent the re-establishment of an illegal dump. At these meetings, the Roma are taught how to separate waste.
Once a month, municipal workers ensure regular cleaning of the area in which the Roma community live. At the same time, the municipality motivates the inhabitants to clean up their own surroundings. Organised municipal sports and games in the spring months are part of this.
Total investment and EU funding
Total investment for the project “Clearance works in illegal waste tips in Čirč” is EUR 86 771, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 73 755 through the “Human Resources” Operational Programme for the 2014-2020 programming period. The investment falls under the priority “Technical facilities in municipalities with high share of marginalised Roma communities”.