“Last year, while cleaning the Neris River, we saw the true scale of pollution underwater – tons of trash in the city center became a reminder of how much human activity impacts the environment. This year, we continue this initiative until we clean the entire 24 km riverbed in Vilnius city. We believe that such projects are important not only for a cleaner river but also for broader public awareness and our relationship with the environment,” says Akvilė Liaudanskienė, Corporate Affairs and Marketing Director of “Darnu Group,” who initiated the project.
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The entire riverbed will be cleaned over a stretch of approximately 7.5–8 kilometers. As in the first phase, work will take place both in the central part of the city, where the river flows along concrete embankments, and in the more natural surroundings of Antakalnis and Verkiai.
The specifics of the riverbed promise an abundance of trash
According to the divers’ team, this part of the river, due to its specifics, may be no less polluted than the stretch cleaned during the first phase from the White Bridge to the Lazdynai Bridge.
“Cleaning the first stretch allowed us to notice certain patterns – most trash accumulates in slower current areas and under bridges. There are even more bridges in this stretch, so it is likely that the number of findings will be significant. It is still difficult to predict the exact scale of pollution, but it is unlikely that we will be able to enjoy a smaller amount of trash than in the first cleaning phase, when we pulled more than two tons of anthropogenic waste from the river,” says Kęstutis Skrupskelis, a member of the Lithuanian Hydrobiologists Society and a consultant for river initiatives at “Darnu Group.”
It is believed that in the stretch from Verkiai Trinapolis Church to the White Bridge, abundant layers of trash lie underwater – hundreds of tires, thousands of bottles, and tons of other findings will be counted again.
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“Still, I want to believe that passersby who often watch the divers’ work, seeing the incredible scale of pollution in the city center, will reflect on the impact made by humans, and the river cleaning work will become not only a process for a cleaner river but also an educational process touching a wide circle of people,” adds K. Skrupskelis.
More than 10 tons of trash pulled out
During the first phase of cleaning the Neris last year, more than two tons of trash were pulled from the river – 1218 kg of various metal products, 1020 kg (89 units) of car tires, 106 kg of glass, 80 kg of plastic, and another 41 kg of other waste, including various textiles. By weight, metals dominate, but in number, tires and glass containers are not far behind. Among the findings were 3 electric bicycles, 2 electric scooters, door or chamber grates, and 4 mobile phones.
K. Skrupskelis says that the first phase of cleaning the Neris brought many challenges and lessons. Last summer was the rainiest in several decades, so the turbid river water due to precipitation made cleaning work more difficult.
“This year we are prepared for that. We have refined the method of working in strong currents by anchoring underwater, learned teamwork in removing large-scale trash in strong currents. I admit that this year we do not expect long periods of good weather and clear water either, so we will work even during short improvements in water clarity, using all the time available,” notes K. Skrupskelis.
