The results were reported by the Chairman of the Regional Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection, Roman Koltsa. He recalled that the past year was the first in the five-year plan for quality, and the main focus of work was on land cleanup and improvement of settlements. Corresponding measures are carried out in the region annually. Social and transport infrastructure are developing, issues of environmental safety, and waste management system development are being addressed, etc.

Settlements continued to be transformed in 2025: landscaping was actively carried out, and the street and road network was repaired. The demolition of vacant and dilapidated houses was carried out. Great attention was paid to ensuring the operation of drinking water supply systems, street lighting, as well as the construction of sports and children's playgrounds.

Among the priorities is the cleanup of territories of agricultural organizations and production facilities.

The northern region faced challenging tasks for 2025. For a number of indicators, it was necessary to achieve 10-15% more than in the previous year.

Roman Koltsa emphasized that the action plan was approved by the Regional Executive Committee's decision No. 212 "On Holding the Year of Improvement" and included 88 items. The measures were completed, and adjustments were made throughout the year to increase the tasks. In addition, the plan was supplemented.

Over 41 thousand trees and 29 thousand shrubs have been planted in populated areas, and 25 hectares of lawns have been created and repaired. The normative level of green space coverage of 40% has been achieved in all cities of the region.

Work was carried out on the sanitary cleaning of watercourses and reservoirs, as well as the repair and improvement of sports grounds. 118 small architectural forms were installed and repaired at such facilities, and 82 containers for waste collection were installed. 14 springs were equipped.

– Planned tasks for the liquidation plugging of wells have been completed, – added Roman Koltsa. – Work on regulating the spread and population of Sosnowsky's hogweed over an area of more than 4.5 thousand hectares, including repeated work, has also been completed. Special attention should be paid in 2026 to combating Sosnowsky's hogweed in the most infested areas: Braslavsky, Vitebsky, Gorodoksky, Orshansky, Tolochinsky, Ushachsky districts.

As for the forest fund, 18 new ecological trails have been created on its territory. Sanitary logging was carried out on 5.5 thousand hectares, and over 935 hectares were cleared of windbreak and storm-felled trees.

Good roads are logistics, potential for the economic development of the region, safety, and comfort for local residents and tourists. Last year, current repairs of republican roads with a length of 268 km were carried out in the region. The territory adjacent to the transport arteries was decorated with over 80 small architectural forms. To maintain cleanliness and order along the roads, more than four dozen containers for waste collection were installed.

Eight passenger platforms and ten stopping points have been repaired at railway stations and stopping points.

Significant attention is also paid to the waste management and secondary material resources system. Waste sorting complexes are being built and modernized, and new methods and technologies for the use of MSW are being implemented, etc. As of early January, 22 municipal solid waste landfills are in operation in the region, and 6 have been closed.

The Novopolotsk Regional MSW Management Complex has been commissioned, and in connection with this, the municipal solid waste landfills of Novopolotsk and Ushachi are subject to closure.

In total, in the region, city and district executive committees have developed and approved 23 waste management schemes for all administrative-territorial units, including horticultural associations and garage cooperatives. More than 77% of horticultural associations and about 84% of garage cooperatives registered in the Vitebsk region have concluded waste removal agreements.

– In order to fulfill the instructions of the head of state and the Government, and to comply with waste management legislation, measures must be taken to develop and regularly update schemes, as well as to ensure the conclusion of 100% of agreements, – Roman Kolts noted and added that the most frequent violation of waste management legislation is their disposal outside of authorized places (1.3 thousand cases last year).

Work in each of these areas will continue.

The results of the work of the main control and analytical department were also discussed at the meeting.

vitebsk-region.gov.by