SLUNJ RESIDENTS HAVE NO DRINKING WATER FOR THIRD DAY

SLUNJ, Oct 29 (Hina) - The residents of Slunj have still not received results about the purity of water from the Slunjcica River and the water supply system which had been contaminated Friday when a cistern carrying sulphuric acid overturned in a road accident leaking out most of the content, 7,800 litres, into the river. Slunj's deputy mayor Milan Skukan said Sunday the town leadership was in constant session as of Friday. "For the third day the residents of Slunj and surrounding areas are without drinking water, the results on the purity of water have not arrived yet, despite promises from the Public Health Institute in Zagreb and Karlovac, and we remain witnesses of total passiveness and irresponsibility of a number of services and ministries," Skukan told Hina. The residents of Slunj, a town about 90 km south of Zagreb urged competent bodies to establish the responsibility of Transport Minister Alojz Tusek, Interior Minister Sime Lucin and the State Water Inspection for Friday's incident which occurred in Slusnica near Slunj, when a cistern with 8,000 litres of sulphuric acid overturned. Teams from the State Institute for Toxicology, the Ministry of Environmental Protection and the Croatian Waters visited the site of the incident Saturday morning. Slunj town leadership said they would request of the Government and Prime Minister Ivica Racan to place the issue of responsibility for the ecological incident on the government agenda. The area of Slunj is being provided drinking water by cisterns from Ogulin, Karlovac and Ozalj, and residents are buying bottled water. (hina) lml