New waste management system in Poráč, Slovakia, improves living conditions

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The project has contributed to the improvement of the living conditions of the Roma community living on the outskirts of the municipality, and of all inhabitants. It has led to the beautification and recultivation of municipal areas, fuller use of municipality territory and the reduction of environmental burdens. In this respect, we have contributed to the desegregation, deghettoization and destigmatisation of the separated Roma community in the municipality.Ing. Dávid Bodnár, Manager for information and communication, Ministry of Interior of the Slovak RepublicWith the help of the European Regional Development Fund, the project has provided the village of Poráč with a waste collection yard with large containers, machinery and equipment and two waste collection points.Thanks to the project, Poráč has increased its municipal waste collection capacity, decreased the risk of the creation of illegal waste sites and improved living conditions for all local inhabitants.One main collection siteThe new 360 m2 waste collection site is outside the village. Two large containers of 7 m3 each have been acquired to store municipal waste onsite. The entire site has been fenced off and paved with asphalt.Until recently, the village of Poráč did not have its own waste collection yard. The nearest one was in the village of Spišská Nová Ves, approximately 20 km away.Access to waste collection pointsThe municipality acquired large containers of 110 and 1 100 litres, respectively, for the deposit of municipal waste from the village and Roma inhabitants. Most of the 358 members of the Roma community in Poráč are concentrated in a settlement on the outskirts of town, which is separated from the village by fields.Because of this natural separation, one of the two waste collection stands is on the main road leading to the community, to ensure the Roma have easy access. The second waste collection stand is in the centre of the village.Setting up a waste collection point to which the Roma community has direct access is expected to decrease the amount of illegal waste dump sites in the region and, overall, improve the living conditions of the Romani residents.A nationwide program led by the Ministry of Interior is improving the living conditions of Romani in the Slovak Republic. The program’s efforts are aimed at ensuring decent living conditions to increase the social inclusion of the more isolated Roma communities in the country.Total investment and EU fundingTotal investment for the project “Waste collection yard in Poráč” is EUR 133 764, with the EU’s European Regional Development Fund contributing EUR 113 699 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”.