Poland's fence in Belovezhskaya Pushcha causes tremendous damage
Vasily Rudenik, the Deputy Head of the Main Directorate – Head of the Department for Control over Environmental Protection, Forestry and Chernobyl Issues at Belarus’ State Control Committee, has informed that the damage caused by Poland’s construction of a fence in Belovezhskaya Pushcha makes Br52m, BelTA reports
According to the official, several categories of environmental damage assessment have been used – such as land degradation and soil deterioration during construction of the wall; impact on the upper layers of the soil, including destruction of the living ground cover, forest litter and fertile soil layer; and land degradation caused by destruction of valuable old-growth broad-leaved and black-alder forests. At the same time, it is impossible to calculate a negative effect of the fence construction on fauna at a legislative level.
Mr. Rudenik noted that – as soon as the first signals began to arrive that Poland was going to build a fence on the border with Belarus – the authorities were informed. A task was set to do everything possible to prevent this.
According to Mr. Rudenik, control measures with on-site visits were organised to determine the damage caused to Belovezhskaya Pushcha. “In line with Belarus’ law, scientists and representatives of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection joined to calculate the sum; it makes Br51.8m,” he informed.
