The data of the AIRTHINGS municipal network, which measures air quality, are unreliable, Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev wrote on his Facebook profile.
According to Terziev, for years the Metropolitan Municipality has reported and built strategies and policies based on incorrect data.
He adds that, at the request of the municipality, the private network Clean Air Found commissioned an independent analysis by the American company TDEnviro, specialized in the analysis of atmospheric air data, with the national monitoring network of the Ministry of the Environment being the reference network. environment and waters. The data from 2021 to 2024 have been checked. The data was analyzed only from those sensors, which are installed in the same place where the stations of the national network are, Terziev specifies.
The results showed that there is almost nothing in common between the private and municipal network data on air pollutants, and the deviations of the municipal network reach up to 12 times.
In the analysis, it is recorded that the municipal network is built with insufficient quality sensors and there is no working system for monitoring, storage and visualization. Since 2019, nearly one million BGN has been paid for the construction and maintenance of the network, and hundreds of thousands of BGN have been paid for maintenance. According to Vasil Terziev, because of the signed contract, after the expiry of the warranty support, the company refuses to provide any information about the system and this makes maintenance difficult.
Terziev recalls that the main strategic document, adopted by decision of the Metropolitan Municipal Council in 2021, contains 83 measures to improve air quality.
„No focus. Words, manipulations, then many more words, writing strategies, policies, tables of measures and no effective actions from the previous administration”, writes Vasil Terziev.
According to him, an analysis and evaluation of the municipal sensor network began in May.
The Metropolitan Municipality has increased the implementation of the program for the replacement of polluting appliances for domestic heating and in a few months its implementation has increased from 11% to 40%. The area of mechanized street washing and sweeping has been increased by 26 thousand acres. 55% more fines were imposed for pollution by construction sites in less than a year, according to the information of the capital's mayor.
The Metropolitan Municipality started a new project worth BGN 14 million, financed under the “Environment“ 2021-2027, which will include green measures to improve air quality, adds Terziev.
The project to replace old heating appliances, financed with BGN 73 million, has already collected applications from 20% of the intended households.
Vasil Terziev also writes that on November 5, the Municipality, together with Sofia University, is organizing a scientific conference with experts from Bulgaria and the world, in order to look for long-term solutions.
The condition and cleanliness of the air is one of the key priorities for the mandate. Our city deserves cleaner air and we will continue to work for it, adds Terziev.