REUTERS
Ukraine is practically starting to suffer from water shortage as the country’s rivers are filled just 20% from the level required, according to the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, Ostap Semerak, who spoke with ZIK TV channel.
"Ukraine begins to suffer from water shortage... Today there is not a single lake or river left in Ukraine with a first class quality water. Last summer, I would wake up every morning, sifting through my newsfeed, afraid to see more stories about fish dying en masse in yet another river," the minister told ZIK.
Semerak notes that not a single Ukrainian enterprise has been punished for environmental negligence due to weak Ukrainian legislation, providing as much as an administrative penalty for such violations. Therefore, top managers of companies in question fear no criminal liability.
Read alsoChornobyl NPP. Arch does not cover all problems"Together with the Prosecutor General's Office, the Ministry of Ecology has worked out specific amendments to criminal legislation, providing for increased liability for environmental damage. However, in December last year, the parliament really promptly adopted a law prohibiting any inspections, including environmental, in 2017. Consequently, at present, the Ecology Ministry is actually under a moratorium on conducting inspections," Ostap Semerak said.