Bursa Metropolitan Municipality’s support for the transition from solid fuel to natural gas continues for 150 households with the grant provided by the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change. Metropolitan Mayor Alinur Aktaş, who visited the citizens who have access to natural gas with this application in their homes, stated that 45 more households will be included in this process with additional funds and said that they are doing all the necessary work to improve the air quality of Bursa.
While 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, Bursa Metropolitan Municipality continues its efforts for a cleaner air. In this context; A Clean Air Action Plan covering the years 2020-2024 was prepared for Bursa, under the coordination of the Provincial Directorate of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change, and with the contributions of the Metropolitan Municipality. In line with the action plan, efforts were accelerated to ensure that residences using solid fuel switch to natural gas. Benefiting from the grant support of the Ministry of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change regarding the transition from solid fuel to natural gas in order to reduce air pollution caused by heating throughout Turkey, the Metropolitan Municipality started the transformation in 10 households that could not switch to natural gas due to economic reasons, with an allowance of 150 million TL.
Detailed review
The residences that will benefit from the grant support were determined under the leadership of the Metropolitan Municipality Environmental Protection and Control Department, with the participation of the Social Services Department, Smart Urbanization and Innovation Department, Zoning and Urbanization Department, 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 Çelebi Mehmet and Vakıf neighborhoods of Yıldırım district within the project area were examined and 150 households that would benefit from the application were determined.
Support will continue
Mehmet Sait Özmen, who lives in Çelebi Mehmet District of Yıldırım district, also benefited from this support and completed the transition to natural gas. Bursa Metropolitan Municipality Mayor Alinur Aktaş also visited the Özmen family at their home. Stating that environmental pollution and air quality issues are among the most important problems of today, Mayor Aktaş said, “Reducing the rate of fossil fuels and increasing the use of renewable energy resources in order to solve these problems indicates that the air quality of our country will be better. Important work is being done on this subject. We also prepared our action plan covering the years 2022-2024. One of the topics in this plan is to expand the use of natural gas. In this regard, we were also injured in the grant program of our ministry. We met the needs of 10 households with the 150 million grant provided in the first phase of the project. Again, we will ensure that around 45 families have access to natural gas with a new allowance of 4 million. We want to continue this project as of next year and touch the lives of our families in need as much as possible. Using natural gas instead of solid fuel is a very important step in the fight against air pollution. I invite all our citizens to be more sensitive on this issue. “I invite everyone to be sensitive in order to leave a more livable Bursa to future generations,” he said.
Homeowner Mehmet Sait Özmen, who stated that he had not been able to connect natural gas to his house before due to economic reasons, also thanked the Metropolitan Municipality for this support.
Source: Railly News
