Ready to leave... by Milota Sidorova

What happens if the land loses the ability to grow plants and bread? What happens if villages, houses turn into ghost areas full of toxic dust. If there is nobody to return, but still a careful observer would find traces and hints of recent human actions. What if houses would be dangerous even to touch and breathe the air within their walls? What if it were your house and you would suddenly became a refugee? These questions are not science-fiction, but the bleak reality for residents of several Hungarian villages. When the dam containing bauxit and aluminium residuals broke down, it made a history as the worst ecological and probably also human catastrophe. Thousands of tho! usands of liters flew out and flooded four villages leaving 7 deads and more than one hundred badly wounded people. Reactive hydroxide left the soil and all surfaces dangerous to even touch. MAL Rt, the owner of the alumina plant in Ajka said it was sorry for the damages and although it was willing to pay compensations, it didn't take the responsibility for the dam failure. And while EU sought to pressure the government to prevent the toxic mud and waste to enter Danube river, the case didn't seem to be finished. While dam released about a half of its content, another cracks have appeared on the northern wall of the reservoir. The dam could be torn apart again – that would be the worst case scenario for people of Kolontar, the government and ecosystems. Technicians talk about building a sarcopfagus for the dam, but it may take months. So far there is a red alert, sword of Damocles hangs above heads of roughly 6,000 residents, packed and ready to leave at any moment.! ..

related story (sgx18362): http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101011/ap_on_re_eu/eu_hungary_s...

by Milota Sidorova for Cantell TV (http://cantell.tv)

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