Fears over polluted drinking water draw tens of thousands to Zagreb as anger grows over delayed waste cleanup in Croatia’s Lika region.
People protest, demanding urgent action over illegally dumped hazardous waste in the Lika region and warning of risks to groundwater and public health, in Zagreb, Croatia, September 5, 2026. (Photo: REUTERS/Borut Zivulovic)
06 Sep 2026 02:41AM
ZAGREB: Tens of thousands of people gathered in Zagreb's central square on Saturday (Sep 5) to protest the government's failure to begin cleaning up more than 30,000 tons of waste in central Croatia that environmentalists say is polluting the drinking water in the area.The protest, one of the biggest in Croatia in several years, was dubbed "Walk for Lika", after the mountainous region where the waste is stored. Authorities, last year, uncovered between 34,000 and 37,000 tons of waste, much of it imported from Italy in 2023 and 2024, at a site near the town of Gospic in Croatia's Lika region. The government pledged to clean up the site, but environmental groups say little progress has been made.Environmentalists say the waste, which they say includes medical and other industrial waste, is contaminating air, soil and water in Lika, a region known for its vast areas of unspoiled nature. They accuse the government of moving too slowly to remove it.
