Bosnia's Lake Jablanica gets cleaned up after deadly floods

In central Bosnia‚ Lake Jablanica is getting a much-needed cleanup roughly a year after devastating floods hit the region. Locals and activists are working together to remove piles of trash and debris that were swept into the lake during the heavy rains of October 2023.

Using a mix of boats and motor vehicles volunteers are scooping up all sorts of items from the water – plastics wood and other objects that were carried away by the floodwaters. The cleanup effort is crucial as the lake‚ known for its clear green water has been marred by a large island of waste.

Ibro Besic a local from nearby Jablanica‚ explained his motivation: “I was born at this lake its normal that Im here‚ helping. It would be shameful to just leave all this trash to float. We all want to come and swim here in the summer“

The floods which occurred about a year ago resulted in 27 deaths; 19 of these were in Donja Jablanica where rocks from a hillside quarry buried houses. The disaster left a trail of destruction including damaged roads bridges and railways.

Haris Cosic‚ who works in Jablanicas tourism industry‚ shared insights on their methods: “We are using quad-bikes to pull out the heavy objects. It will take a lot of time but I hope‚ we hope that the operation will be successful“ The cleanup crew has encountered everything from animal carcasses to home appliances like refrigerators and stoves.

In the aftermath of the disaster‚ Bosnia sought assistance from neighboring countries and the European Union. The EU Commission President was expected to visit the affected areas as part of a trip to the Balkan country around that time.

Local authorities announced that schools would reopen with an option for online classes for students who werent ready to return to the classroom. This flexible approach aimed to help the community gradually return to normalcy after the catastrophic events