📩 20/09/2023 13:09
The Metropolitan Municipality, which has implemented large-scale investment projects in order to ensure that Bursa has cleaner air, water and environment, has launched a support package for the transition from solid fuel use to natural gas in order to prevent air pollution. Support will be given to 150 households in Çelebi Mehmet and Vakıf Neighborhoods of Yıldırım district, where the air quality is low according to the measurements made, to switch to natural gas.
The 'Air Quality Assessment and Management (HKDY) Regulation', published for the improvement of air quality in Turkey, aims to gradually reduce the current air quality limit values until January 01, 2024 and to comply with the EU limit values after that date. In this context; For a livable Bursa, the Clean Air Action Plan covering the years 2020-2024 was prepared under the coordination of the Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, and with the contributions of the Metropolitan Municipality. In this context, the Ministry also received support from the Metropolitan Municipality, which continues its efforts to ensure the transition of residences using solid fuel to natural gas use. Bursa Metropolitan Municipality also benefited from the grant support provided by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change regarding the transition process from solid fuel to natural gas in order to reduce air pollution caused by heating throughout Turkey. The Metropolitan Municipality, which received a grant of approximately 10 million TL from the Ministry, pressed the button to use this resource for the transition from solid fuel to natural gas in residences.
150 residences in the first phase
To determine the residences that will benefit from the grant support, meetings were held under the leadership of the Metropolitan Municipality Department of Environmental Protection and Control, with the participation of the Department of Social Services, Department of Smart Urbanization and Innovation, Department of Planning and Urbanization, Social Assistance and Solidarity Foundation and BURSAGAZ A.Ş. . According to the inspections and findings, the region containing 11 neighborhoods under the Ankara road, which is at a lower level in terms of air quality, was determined as the project area. In this region, where the income level is low, it was determined that the subscription rates were also low, despite the natural gas pipeline passing through. It was determined that 11 independent sections in these 3269 neighborhoods have not yet started the process of natural gas transition. Necessary investigations were carried out by the Social Assistance Foundation and the social services units of the Metropolitan and Yıldırım municipalities and the households that could benefit from the project were determined. In the first stage, 773 houses determined in the Çelebi Mehmet and Vakıf neighborhoods of Yıldırım district within the project area were examined and 150 primary and 50 spare households were determined as both technically feasible and in need. Following the household identification, these households began to be supported for the transition from solid fuel to natural gas.
Support will continue
Reminding that air pollution is one of the most important environmental problems, Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Alinur Aktaş said, “Using natural gas instead of solid fuel in the fight against air pollution is a very important step. For this reason, I invite all our citizens to switch to natural gas to take their place in this struggle. We also contribute to this process with the support we will provide from our Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. We started the process with 150 houses in the first stage. However, with the support from our ministry, it will expand to this population gradually. "It is a great duty for all of us to keep our air clean in order to leave a more livable Bursa to future generations," he said.