Name and conditions for taking part in national cleanest and greenest settlement contest modified

The name of the national competition “The Greenest and Cleanest Settlement” has been changed into “The Most Modern and Cleanest Settlement”. According to the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the new name is more appropriate as many villages and towns have successfully implemented projects to renovate cultural homes, museums, and buildings of education and healthcare establishments, municipal pipelines in the past few years, Info-Prim Neo reports. The conditions for participating in the contest have been also modified. Urban and rural settlements of all kinds can now take part in the contest. These will be classified into three categories: I – municipalities and urban settlements with a population of over 20,000, II – urban settlements with a population of up to 20,000, and III – rural settlements. The national stage of the contest will be preceded by district stages for settlements from the third category. The district-level contest will be held between March 22 and August 1 under the auspices of the district council. The winning settlement will be promoted to the national stage. It will take place between August 1 and September 22. The settlements from the first and second category will be proposed for the national stage by the district or municipal council without contest, because they are few in number. The contest in Chisinau will be organized by the Chisinau Municipal Council. The assessment commission will take into account the general aspect of the settlement, the functionality of the water supply system, the entrances to the settlement (including the planting of green spaces on an area of 75%), the state of the river and ponds. The winners will be awarded prizes worth 40,000 to 100,000 lei, allocated from the National Ecological Fund. The composition of the commission for organizing the contest has been also changed. The Minister of Local Public Administration and the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources will be the commission’s co-presidents, while the head of the division for relations with the local public authorities of the Ministry of Local Public Administration will be its secretary. Among the winners of the previous edition of the contest are: the municipality of Balti, Ocnita and Vadul lui Voda towns, the villages of Recea (Rascani), Pelenia (Drochia) Tvardita (Taraclia), Romanesti (Straseni), Casla (Telenesti) and Scaeni (Donduseni). The nationwide contest has been held since 2000.