SPRING CLEANING IN BANJA LUKA: CALLING ALL CITIZENS TO JOIN THE EFFORT

Every spring, Banja Luka begins its large-scale cleaning effort to prepare the city for the new tourist season and Banja Luka Spring. This year, the city is once again inviting all citizens to join forces and help beautify the city on the Vrbas River.

PHOTO: Grad BL

The cleaning campaign this spring starts from the city center. Last week, we began activities at the Kastel fortress. This week, we will continue with the cleaning of the city center and surrounding neighborhoods. Each week, we will move outward, gradually reaching the outskirts and rural areas. The goal is to reach suburban and rural settlements as well, said Milada Šukalo, Project Manager for the City of Banja Luka and coordinator of the "Clean City Face" campaign.

A special invitation has been extended to schools, kindergartens, and homeowners’ associations to participate in this year’s campaign.

For those interested, the city will provide seedlings and flowers to plant together in the effort to beautify and improve the city.

This year, Banja Luka residents will also be able to dispose of bulky waste for free. We will provide containers in the neighborhoods, and we will repeat last year’s initiative to establish a recycling yard in the Rosulje neighborhood, where citizens will be informed in advance, Šukalo added.

She also emphasized that one of the biggest challenges in all local communities, including Banja Luka, is improper waste disposal.

We are not talking about household waste, for which citizens pay fees, but rather bulky waste that is often found around containers. Negligent individuals create illegal dumping sites by irresponsibly disposing of this waste, Šukalo noted, emphasizing that this campaign aims to raise awareness and encourage citizens to work together with city services to reduce this complex issue.