site.btaProtesters in Kyustendil Demand Dismantlement of Photovoltaic Power Plant on Agricultural Land

A protest against the construction of photovoltaic power plants on agricultural and forest land was held in front of the Kyustendil Municipality on Wednesday.

The protest was organized by Vazrazhdane party members and local environmentalists, who stated that their constitutional rights to an optimal living environment and legislation had been violated. They demanded the dismantling of the Aratiden photovoltaic power plant built in the villages of Konyavo and Dvorishte, complete reclamation of the lands and an end to legal arbitrariness by the local institutions.

"I am a physicist and I know perfectly well what will happen with such a large area of solar power plants on agricultural land and forest land," said Velichka Velichkova, one of the protesters. She pointed out that what is happening is unacceptable and illegal. "The humus has been removed and unlimited quantities of dangerous chemicals have been poured on site. There are captured springs here, it is a matter of time before you start drinking pesticides," she said.

She insisted that no regulatory requirement for this project has been met and that construction was carried out without a permit. "The panels are designed to reflect light, which means an increase in temperature. Low-frequency electromagnetic field oscillations are emitted, which are extremely harmful," Velichkova added, stressing that she was also threatened because of the reports she sent to the competent institutions.

"It is true that the park has already been built, but we are categorical that it must be dismantled. We have to start somewhere. If we are a country governed by the rule of law, these regulatory requirements must be met," Tsvetomira Marinova emphasized. 

"In 1970, we picked cherries in this very area for the World Expo in Osaka. The whole world told us then that these were the best cherries in the world, in this very place where there are photovoltaics now," Yordan Kostadinov said.

Rise Up BG Movement Chair Maya Manolova later joined the protest as well, telling BTA that inadequate decisions are being made that are turning Bulgaria from an orchard into a desert. "Dividing the installation into separate stages without assessing the impact of the first two stages is a crime and ignores the interests of the citizens," Manolova stressed. She said that she would insist that the Kyustendil Municipal Council reconsider its decision.