How much waste has been collected so far in Vitaljina?

Approximately 15 cubic meters of waste have been collected in the area leading to the Vitaljina border crossing.

Who is participating in the cleanup operation?

The operation involves municipal company employees, the Čilipi Volunteer Fire Department, and the Gruda Public Fire Brigade.

Why did the waste pollution occur?

Over the weekend, thousands of travelers waited for hours in queues to exit Croatia toward Albania and Kosovo, discarding large amounts of waste along the road.

How far did the traffic queues extend?

Vehicle queues stretched all the way to the town of Čilipi.

Croatia

After Traffic Collapse in Konavle: 15 Cubic Meters of Waste

B.J. · Prije 2h | 2 min

Firefighters joined the cleanup effort, which will continue until the area is fully restored to its original state.

Summary

After hours of waiting at the border, 15 cubic meters of waste were collected near Vitaljina alone.
Firefighters from the Čilipi Volunteer Fire Department and the Gruda Public Fire Brigade joined the cleanup.
The area remediation will continue until the terrain is fully cleaned.

Over the past weekend, Konavle faced a traffic collapse that left behind not only multi-hour queues but also a serious environmental issue. In the area leading to the Vitaljina border crossing, municipal workers and firefighters have so far collected approximately 15 cubic meters of discarded waste.

Firefighters Step In to Help

The Mayor of Konavle Municipality, Božo Lasić, confirmed that the cleanup operation, in addition to municipal company employees, was joined by the Čilipi Volunteer Fire Department and the Gruda Public Fire Brigade. "The guys from the Čilipi Volunteer Fire Department and the Gruda Public Fire Brigade also joined the operation, and we extend a big thank you for their help and engagement," Lasić said. He added that the cleanup at that location is ongoing and that the goal is to remove all remaining debris.

Waste Accumulated During Multi-Hour Waits

The pollution occurred after thousands of travelers, mostly en route from Western Europe to Albania and Kosovo, waited for hours to exit Croatia. Vehicle queues stretched all the way to Čilipi, and besides the traffic chaos at the Vitaljina and Karasovići border crossings, large amounts of waste were left discarded along the roadsides.

The Konavle Municipality emphasizes that the site remediation will continue until the entire area is thoroughly cleaned and restored to its pre-congestion state.