RIGA, Dec 1 (LETA) - Augsdaugava municipality will ask the government to declare the state of emergency in three of its rural territories due to the leak of sewage sludge.

The local government will request the Cabinet of Ministers to declare the state of emergency in the rural territories of Naujene, Malinova and Liksna because of threat to human health, environment, safe business activities, as well as local government infrastructure caused by sewage sludge leaked from Daugavpils Udens sludge fields.

The local government explained that this is necessary in order to claim compensations from the state for the loss caused by the accident.

Since Saturday, Daugavpils Udens, VentEko, Meliors Krauja and the State Fire and Rescue Service have been engaged in cleaning up the pollution.

The local government has set up a workforce that is working on dealing with the consequences from the accident, including organization of drinking water supplies to local residents.

As reported, on November 26, the State Environment Service received information about a critical situation in Krizi sewage sludge fields in Kasatniku, Naujene rural territory of Augsdaugava municipality. State Environment Service inspectors discovered that after a dam broke down, a large amount of sewage sludge leaked into the river.

It has been estimated that about 14,000 cubic meters of sludge have leaked into the environment. Most of the sludge leaked into the nearby boggy forest, still, the pollution has made its way along ditches and the rivers of Stropica and Liksna.

The sewage sledge can be used as fertilizer in agriculture, but, such large amounts of sludge leaking into the environment may harm it. The State Environment Service will calculate the loss to the environment and Daugavpils Udens will have to compensate it.