 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| . |  |
. |
Budapest (AFP) Nov 18, 2010 Victims of a toxic mud spill in Hungary last month have said they will hold off a planned protest for compensation if they receive a visit by Prime Minister Viktor Orban. "Viktor Orban promised us full compensation," the demonstrators' spokesman Geza Csenki told a gathering late Wednesday at Devecser, one of the villages hardest hit by a wave of red mud on October 4 that killed ten and destroyed countless homes. "If he pays us a visit within a week, we will not carry out our protest," he added. Csenki had announced Wednesday that the victims of the toxic sludge spill were planning a march Friday on a nearby major road, in a bid to slow traffic and draw attention to their plight. So far, only about 40 million forint (145,000 euros, 198,000 dollars) have been paid out to the region's inhabitants out of a compensation fund of 1.2 billion forint. The government argues villagers must first make clear whether they intend to stay put or move to new housing further away. The residents meanwhile protest that they have not been given enough information on whether it is safe to stay. Orban's office did not say Thursday whether the prime minister may visit the affected region. But in a statement, his spokesman Peter Szijjarto assured: "The Prime Minister is continuously requesting and receiving information about reconstruction work." "This work is supervised on the ground by 44 people from the governmental Coordination Committee for Reconstruction," the statement added, noting that a representative from the agriculture ministry was also on site to discuss land swaps with the victims, whose fields have been polluted by the toxic sludge. Hundreds lost their homes and livelihoods after a holding reservoir at an alumina plant, some 160 kilometres (100 miles) west of Budapest, burst its walls on October 4. The crack sent more than 700,000 cubic metres of toxic red mud spilling across an area of 40 square kilometres (15.4 square miles), polluting the Danube River and its tributaries and causing an ecological disaster.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Our Polluted World and Cleaning It Up
Saudi faces daunting task of post-hajj cleanupMina, Saudi Arabia (AFP) Nov 18, 2010 As the hajj pilgrimage nears its end, Saudi authorities in Mecca face the daunting task of cleaning up after pilgrims who have turned the streets of Muslim holy sites into a garbage dump. During the short hajj season, it has become almost impossible to walk in the streets of the tent city of Mina, outside Mecca, without a mask due to an overwhelming stench which has pervaded every open space ... read more |
|
|
| The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |
del.icio.us
Digg
Reddit
YahooMyWeb
Google
Facebook
