Sjenica declares state of emergency over waste crisis

Authorities in the southwestern Serbian municipality of Sjenica declared a state of emergency on Wednesday following a massive buildup of municipal waste and a heightened risk of infectious diseases.

During a meeting of the local Emergency Situations Headquarters, officials decided to implement the emergency measure to address the public health threat. According to the municipality’s official website, the state of emergency was triggered by the potential for an epidemic, as the failure to dispose of garbage across the territory has begun to endanger the health of local residents.

The Headquarters noted that the declaration would allow for the immediate rollout of preventive and operational measures designed to stop the spread of disease before an outbreak takes hold.