Krakow combats smog menace

Photo: Krakowski Alarm Smogowy

Local NGO The Krakow Smog Alarm (Krakowski Alarm Smogowy) has been campaigning for the ban over the last twelve months, and city authorities have thrown their weight behind the initiative.

“I think that large numbers of people are now very aware of the seriousness of the situation and they really want to change it,” said physicist and Krakow Smog Alarm member Jakub Jedrak, in an interview with Polish Radio's Nick Hodge.

“Local politicians have changed their attitude by nearly 180 degrees, and now they are really supporting our claims,” he added.

Only last month, a report by the European Environment Agency found that Krakow had the third most polluted air of 383 cities across Europe.

Local data confirms that 50 percent of the winter pollution comes from low emission sources, namely from the burning of coal and other objects in household stoves.

However, if an outright ban is to be introduced, it must be voted through by the regional assembly of the Maloposka province.

Following pressure from public and civic quarters in Krakow, the executive of the regional assembly will put draft legislation to the vote at the end of the month, having previously stalled the issue.

Poland's environmental problems will be in the international spotlight over the following fortnight with Warsaw hosting the 19th edition of the UN Climate Change Conference, which begins on Monday.