[ From the Media ]

During my recent visit to Skopje, I overheard people on the vegetable market inquire whether the tomatoes to be bought were from Veles or not. The reason: health alert. In a recent article in SETimes, Veles is referred to as "the most polluted city in Macedonia" due to its lead and zinc smelter. The good news: Following an NGO initiative, the old factory is now to be dismantled, and Veles will undergo a major cleanup. The factory was, in fact, abandonded already in 2003, but even after its closure raised levels of lead and cadmium were found in air, soil, and water. The 45-ha area around the smelter is now to be ridded of contamination with heavy metals.