[ad_1]
According to the deputy mayor of the Panevėžys district, Antanas Pocius, it is one of the most rural districts and, at best, only after a decade will the largest settlements receive water supply and sewerage networks. And, as practice shows, the people themselves often fear that civilization.
Milda, who lives in one of Krekenava’s old people’s villages, does not want to reveal her last name and lives with three children and a friend on a farm left by her grandmother. He draws water from a well, bathes in a sauna installed in the yard, enters a cabin behind the barn, and a stream of sewage into a buried barrel, which must be emptied every two months. It costs about thirty euros for such a service. It’s a lot of money for the family, because only Milda’s friend has a job. She is raising children herself.
“It just came to our knowledge then. The water flows from the well to the kitchen with a hydrophore, to wash the dishes or clothes well. There is no toilet or bathroom in the house, a lot of money is needed,” said the neighbor of the district.
Sometimes children take a bath and, in the kitchen, heat water on a gas stove.
“I have a baby bath left for that. The oldest son is eight years old, but he also fits. A little worse in winter with a toilet: at night the children do not touch, we use a bucket. But this is how half lives from the village, so I grew up. Even if we bring sewage and water to the village, I don’t know if we would bring it to the house, which is probably not in our pocket, “thinks Milda.
The plans and the realities are different
The number of these inhabitants in the Panevėžys district is not ten, but hundreds. According to A. Pocius, about 80 percent of the district has a water supply. population and the sewage disposal system, only about 50 percent. A few years ago, an ambitious goal of reaching 95% by December 31, 2014 was set. The Lithuanian population will have centralized water and sewerage systems, later the date was changed, but even now the plans are far behind of rural reality. Currently, there are a number of even larger settlements without sewage or water supply networks.
“In Perekšļi or Jotainiai, many people have water supply and sewer networks do not. Not all guides have a centralized water supply, and an even smaller part has a sewage system. Achieve that in the next few years 95 percent. It would be impossible to provide homes with centralized water and sewerage systems, “admits A. Pocius.
The municipality can only carry out minimal work within its budget. The installation of the water supply is a little cheaper, but the sewage networks are a very expensive pleasure, so without European support, civilization would not reach the area.
“Municipalities have received a lot of money from the so-called COVID-19 fund for roads, streets or other repairs. We requested funds from the same fund for the installation of water supply and sewerage systems, but unfortunately we did not receive anything, ”says A. Pocius.
Services for millions
Currently, a project has already been prepared to bring sewerage networks and partially centrally supplied water to Jotainiai. Such works will cost almost 4 million. euros. An estimated 15 million euros would be needed to bring sewerage to all the larger settlements. In this case, each settlement must also have its own sewage treatment plant.
“If we don’t install local treatment plants in Perekšļi, think about how much it would cost to install a pipeline for the sewage to Panevėžys! We can’t even imagine where to get that money from, “says A. Pocius.
According to him, even after bringing sewerage and water supply networks to the settlement, not all residents take the opportunity to connect to them. Until a few years ago, the situation was similar with power grids. Now there are no longer remote grills where people light with balanas, but, according to the deputy mayor, he had to tire long before some neighbors could be persuaded to bring electricity to their homes.
Although communications are provided free of charge up to the boundary of the plot, ensuring that there is electricity or water in the home is a matter for the resident. According to the deputy mayor, on average, the installation of water and sewerage networks in a house costs about a thousand euros.
“It just came to our attention then. Maybe some don’t really, but most may not be a habit, and for whom? I have lived and will live the rest of my life for fifty years. Since ancient times, it was custom in the people bury a barrel and no longer turn their heads, ”said A. Pocius.
He is convinced that it will be at least a good decade before the villager has all the comforts and the outdoor areas become a thing of the past.
“We have received requests to install sewage networks from Perekšliai, Vadokliai and, more recently, from the Katinai settlement. If we could, we would start work at the same minute, the only problem was finances,” says the deputy mayor.
Methods won’t give up
Up to 66 rural residents have submitted their civil signatures to the Panevėžys district municipality and called for civilization. Liubovė Sprainaitienė, the president of the cat community, admits that some of the signatories will not be in a hurry to run sewer networks. Many residents need this service, but when it comes time to open a wallet, those desires often end. One of the biggest problems in the field is poor drainage, so the installation of sewer networks is expected to solve this problem as well.
“When gas was brought into town a few years ago, initially only a street of enthusiasts brought gas home. But a year later they were joined by others and, after a time, another part of the population. I think it will also be with the plumbing. When they see it, they’ll think it might be worth investing, ”says L. Sprainaitienė.
According to her, currently only one of the others has no water supply and uses well water. And wastewater is managed as is known. Most have barrels buried in the ground and specialists are periodically invited to empty them. However, the rural population does not give up outdoor baths either. According to her, there is practically no farm without this heritage.
“Until we had treatment facilities, they invited us to remove the wastewater every month. Calculating that it is more economically profitable to build treatment plants ourselves, we did so. Now my house has plumbing and cleaning facilities, but we don’t promise to demolish the outdoor sheds either. In summer, it is very useful to work in the garden “, – smiles L. Sprainaitienė.
As well as the bathroom
In Panevėžys, the situation with regard to sewerage networks is quite different. According to the company’s public relations specialist Aukštaitijos vandenys Svajūnas Mikeška, since 2007, more than 112 kilometers of water supply and more than 134 kilometers of sewerage networks have been installed to date. Approximately 6,621 inhabitants were able to connect to the centralized sewerage and 6,146 to the centralized water supply. About 234 owners have not yet used it.
“Individual residents who do not want to connect to the centralized sewer are at the end of A. Mackevičius, Krekenava, Klaipėdos streets, but most of them are in gardening communities that belong to the city,” said S. Mikeška.
He doubts the comforts that people do not have to get out of poverty.
“I think the reluctance to connect is not the result of lack of money, but of ecological illiteracy. Once, we received a request from a citizen not only to bring sewerage and water supply networks, but also to build a bathroom for him, as if we were getting European money for that. But the state does not really buy toilets for residents, it only provides the opportunity to install them ”, emphasized S. Mikeška.
[ad_2]
