KHOINIKI, 26 April (BelTA) - More than $19 billion has been invested in the revival of the regions affected by the Chernobyl disaster in Belarus, Zhanna Chernyavskaya, a member of the House of Representatives of the National Assembly, said at a commemorative rally in Khoiniki dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, BelTA has learned.
Promoting sustainable socio-economic development of the affected territories while ensuring radiation safety requirements is of national importance, said Zhanna Chernyavskaya. Over the past 30 years, Belarus has implemented five state programs to mitigate the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster (from 1990 to 2020). Over $19 billion has been earmarked to finance the programs.
Zhanna Chernyavskaya recalled that 35 years ago the radiation cloud affected 3,678 settlements.
Zhanna Chernyavskaya drew a comparative parallel between the life in Khoiniki in 1986 and 2021. "We can see how much has been done to revive these territories, recover enterprises, to make sure children were born here," she said. This is thanks to the efforts of both cleanup workers and the people who decided to stay on their native land.
"It is important to remember the people who worked to minimize the impact of the man-made disaster. The younger generation should appreciate what they have now. The Chernobyl accident showed us that we can lose everything in an instant. Be healthy and rejoice every day, appreciate each other. May such tragedies never happen again," Zhanna Chernyavskaya said.
