Workers barely managed to reach the dumpsters in the courtyard behind the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, which irresponsible citizens had turned into a landfill. The technical director denied claims that garbage had not been collected for seven days.
Workers from Zadar's utility company Čistoća managed to break through to the dumpsters in the courtyard behind the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on Branimirova obala on August 12 and haul away the piles of waste that irresponsible citizens had dumped there. The intervention came after the public had sharply criticized the situation on the ground in the preceding days, and Antena Zadar had reported on the issue the day before yesterday. The municipal workers themselves received numerous praises for their efforts.
The problem at this location is not new, and it is further compounded by the fact that Čistoća's trucks often cannot even get near the dumpsters due to illegally parked cars. Drivers leave their vehicles on the sidewalk and right next to the containers, blocking access for the heavy vehicles that are supposed to empty the waste regularly.
Boris Skroče, the technical director of Čistoća, told Antena Zadar that it is impossible for garbage not to have been collected for seven days, calling that claim misinformation. He did confirm, however, that they had serious difficulties entering the courtyard.
"There were situations where we couldn't get into the courtyard even for scheduled bulky waste collection, sometimes for up to eight days. We'll check what's going on here, but this is a problem where we often can't get in because of vehicles, although it's impossible that we didn't collect garbage for seven days-that's misinformation," Skroče said.
After the operation on Branimirova, Čistoća said that stories about the alleged lack of collection had taken a back seat to the clear facts on the ground. The mess was caused by huge, unfolded cardboard boxes from new televisions and accompanying Styrofoam, thrown directly onto the ground in front of the containers.
Through Facebook, the municipal company explained that one such intact box takes up the volume of several containers and instantly blocks the passage for everyone else. The workers spent the entire morning manually collecting and shredding a pile of packaging that someone had simply decided to leave in the walkway.
"Our workers spent the morning manually collecting and shredding a pile of packaging that someone had simply decided to leave in the walkway. The job is done and the area is clean, but situations like this waste time and resources that are meant for the regular maintenance of the city. Once again, we appeal to all citizens and renters: fold and flatten cardboard packaging before disposing of it. Respect the work of the people who keep this city clean and take care of the shared space in your neighborhood," Čistoća said.
Public reactions on social media were overwhelmingly positive toward the workers who cleaned up someone else's mess in the scorching heat. One commenter said these workers should be paid more than anyone employed in public and state services.
Another Zadar resident was even more direct, urging fellow citizens to compare the cleanliness of their city with other places: "I keep saying it and I'll say it forever. Kudos to all Čistoća workers-travel to the so-called metropolises and you'll see the difference."
