An environmental picket passed off in Stavropol

On January, 29, activists of non-governmental organizations, scientists and ecologists held a picket in Stavropol "Healthy life-style is our people's happy future". At the action the participants called for maintenance of the springs in the forests of the city and elimination of pollution of water storages in order not to harm the residents' health.

"We want to draw public attention to the problem of maintenance of the springs in our forests. Springs are strategic water reserves for the whole city. One more problem is water quality in the water storages. Sengileev water intake is in danger: the content of copper and iron is going beyond normal which results in diseases and children's neoplasms", Anzhela Nazaryan, Head of "Environmental Patrol of Tersky Cossack Army", said.

The action was organized by non-governmental organizations "Environmental Patrol of Stavropolie" and "Environmental Patrol of Tersky Cossack Army". One of the main slogans of the action was: "It takes one day to cut down a forest, one year to build a house and 100 years to grow a forest".

Candidate of medical science Diana Dementyeva said that during the past years qualitative composition of water of the cascade of Yegorlyk water storages generally met the standards for ponds of fishery profile. But, according to her, with all these the content of cooper exceeds maximum rate established for drinking water by one thousand times, RIA "Novosti" reports.

"Analyses of the state of surface watercourses rising from within Sengileev basin revealed that heavy metals, such as cooper, iron, manganese and nitrogen compounds were present in their waters. Besides, the content of dissolved oxygen does not everywhere meet the standards of fishery water consumption", "Fest News" quotes Dementyeva.

Ecologists consider that the pollution was caused by anthropogenic impact on the environment. Upon the results of the picket, "Environmental Patrol of Stavropolie" is going to initiate amendments to the Water Code of Russia toughening responsibility for nature protection concerning springs and small rivers, including increase of fines for discharge of uncleaned drains.