Sofia is grappling with a worsening waste management crisis as temporary measures maintain service continuity in some districts while others remain heavily affected. The municipality confirmed that garbage collection is ongoing in six districts falling under Zones 2 and 4 – including Pancharevo, Iskar, Kremikovtsi, Ilinden, Nadezhda, and Serdika – following the expiration of contracts yesterday. Despite these measures, Zone 3, covering Poduyane, Slatina, and Izgrev, continues to operate under a crisis organization mode.

Residents in the Hadji Dimitar neighborhood of Poduyane report overflowing containers and a lack of collection since Christmas. District Mayor Kristiyan Hristov described the situation as dire, with locals calling it “filth,” “disease,” and “infection.” Citizens voiced frustration at the perceived inaction, with some attributing the crisis to political mismanagement.

In Zone 4, covering Nadezhda, Ilinden, and Serdika, contracts expired on the same day, leaving district mayors unsure about the incoming service provider. Emil Branchevski, mayor of Ilinden, criticized the lack of communication from the municipality, noting that contracts for garbage collection also cover snow removal. Dimitar Dimov, mayor of Nadezhda, expressed concerns over unclear schedules and the uncertainty surrounding street cleaning, describing the situation as unprecedented in his 19-year tenure. Temporary measures currently rely on companies from neighboring areas like Vrabnitsa and Novi Iskar. Dimov also noted that streets in Lyulin remain hazardous, covered in ice and accumulating waste.

Deputy Mayor for Ecology Nadezhda Bobcheva addressed the crisis during a municipal briefing, explaining that the city’s “mega-order” for cleaning spans all seven zones but faces ongoing legal and organizational challenges. For Zone 1, the central city area, and Zone 2, price-indexed contract annexes were signed due to prolonged legal disputes and the absence of a finalized contractor.

Zone 4 remains the most complicated, with a selected contractor embroiled in a dual legal dispute – both preliminary enforcement and the substantive case. Temporary measures have been issued, assigning cleaning responsibilities to companies operating in border districts, though this solution is expected to last only a day or two until a Supreme Administrative Court ruling.

For Zone 5, a contractor has been selected, allowing regular service organization to continue. In Zone 6, including Lyulin, Krasna Polyana, and Krasno Selo, complaints over full containers prompted the assignment of services to the municipal company SOFEKOSTROY. Bobcheva confirmed that communication with the company is ongoing and that newly acquired equipment will arrive shortly, promising resolution of the problems within the week.