Vyshhorod Mayor Momot reported detection of toxic substances in Desna River. Environmental specialists denied this after inspection (updated)
A toxic substance has been detected in the Desna River and its bays, which is coming downstream from the Russian border.
This was reported by Vyshhorod Mayor Oleksiy Momot on Facebook, Censor.NET reports.
He said that on 26 August, an extraordinary meeting of the Kyiv Regional Commission on Technogenic and Environmental Safety and Emergencies was held.
At this meeting, the Brovary and Vyshhorod district state administrations, as well as the heads of the Vyshhorod and Pirnove territorial communities, were instructed to ban local residents from swimming and fishing.
"Categorically prohibit all subordinate officers from swimming, swimming, fishing in the Desna and its bays," Momot wrote.
The ban will remain in place until safe results are obtained from environmentalists.
The Desna is one of the largest rivers in Ukraine. It is a left tributary of the Dnipro. The river originates in Russia, in the Smolensk region, and flows through the Chernihiv, Kyiv, and Sumy regions.
Updated.
Later, the Kyiv Regional Environmental Protection Agency denied the information about toxic substances in the waters of the Desna River, which had been spread by Oleksii Momot the day before.
They stated that the State Environmental Inspectorate of the Capital District did not find any exceedance of the maximum permissible concentrations of organic and mineral substances in the Desna River within the Kyiv region. The oxygen content is also within normal limits. No evidence of fish kill was found.
The RMA said that the day before they had received information about the deterioration of water quality in the Seim River, which is the left tributary of the Desna River.
"In particular, it was about the pollution of water moving downstream of the Seim, as well as the freezing of fish in it," the statement said.
Since the Desna flows through the territory of Kyiv region, namely Vyshgorod and Brovary districts, the Commission on Technogenic and Environmental Safety and Emergency Situations instructed to carry out daily monitoring of water quality.
"To prevent negative impacts on public health, the Kyiv Regional Commission for Technogenic and Environmental Safety and Emergencies recommends not to use the water of the Desna River, to ban swimming and fishing in the Desna, as well as the use of river water for household needs and livestock watering," the RMA reports.
The RMA assures that the situation is under constant control, and changes will be reported additionally.
It should be noted that the Desna is one of the largest rivers in Ukraine. It is a left tributary of the Dnipro. The river originates in Russia, in the Smolensk region, and flows through Chernihiv, Kyiv and Sumy regions.
