Armed Forces in “Zelena čistka” action

On Friday and Saturday, 20 and 21 April 2012, more than 100 members of the Armed Forces of the Croatian Army, Honorary protection battalion (PZB), Support Command (ZzP) and the Croatian Military Academy (HVU), with associated mechanical equipment for loading and garbage collection (7 trucks and 4 loaders) were engaged in cleaning the illegal dumping sites in Karlovac (Logorište barracks), Vukovar (Petar Svačić Street), Osijek (Block Centre 2, Tenjska road), Požega (F. Basaričeka Street) and at three locations in Zagreb (Zelenjak, Branimirova- Retkovec, Zavrtnica).
“Zelena čistka” action, organized for the first time in Croatia, was conducted within the “World Cleanup 2012” and the global movement “Let’s do it!” which have so far included 82 countries from around the world. Action’s aim is to bring together the largest ever number of volunteers in a joint effort to clean up the environment and therefore call on all citizens to change the attitude towards the environment and nature, and waste disposal. Our goal is to find all locations with improperly disposed waste, mark them on a web map, and then clean the forests, rivers, lakes, sea. We believe to include in action more than 30 000 volunteers across Croatia, and in Zagreb only more than 60 locations were cleaned, the organizers from the Žmergo Association said.
The action besides many citizens were joined by the highest officials of the Republic of Croatia, so today, Saturday, April 21, President Ivo Josipović, Minister of Environmental Protection and Nature Mirela Holly, Prime minister Zoran Milanović, Chief of General Staff Lieutenant General Drago Lovrić, ministers in the Government Orset Miljenić and Mirando Mrsić, Zagreb’s Mayor Milan Bandić, and others actively engaged in cleaning.

Minister Mirela Holly said that this was a symbolic gesture of politicians whose goal was to inform the public on the issue of waste and pollution, and on raising public awareness about the preservation of nature and the environment. The problem of environmental pollution is an environmental problem for the health of citizens as well as big financial burden, Holly concluded.

President Josipović said he was honored to be the patron of this praiseworthy action where Croatia makes first civilization step in the implementation of waste sorting. He congratulated the organizers for the initiative and expressed his pleasure as the Commander-in-Chief of the Croatian Armed Forces as the Army once again proved that it was always first to help the citizen.
Chief of General Staff Gen. Lovrić confirmed that the army would continue to participate in any actions to improve safety and standard of Croatian citizens as soldiers like order and cleanliness, and their aim is that Croatia is an example of environmentally conscious society.
CAF, in coordination with relevant departments for environmental protection in MOD, for many years has been actively involved in various ways in the actions of cleaning the environment around Croatia. Thus, members of the Croatian Army and Support Command, have been also engaged with logistics and machinery

Members of the Armed Forces for many years continuously actively participate in various ways in the action of cleaning the environment throughout Croatia. Members of the Croatian Army (HKoV) and Support Command (ZzP) except with employees have been also involved with logistics and machinery to support these activities. Members of the Croatian Navy (HRM) continuously participate in the annual cleaning of sea in cooperation with local governments and tourism associations, where Navy provides divers and all the equipment and vessels. Also, members of the Croatian Air Force and Air Defence (HRZ I PZO) participated with the transport helicopters in the activities of the wreck removal and disposal of large waste from mountainous and inaccessible terrain throughout Croatia.