In one year it will be a different landscape

The construction work has been started on a Ruda Śląska post-zinc dumping place of Liebe-Hoffnung plant, where sleds route, playground, walking paths, viewpoints and barbeque stands will be created. The investment is being implemented in the framework of the LUMAT project, which is a common idea of the Institute for Ecology of Industrial Areas in Katowice and City of Ruda Śląska.

Recultivation of 4.2 ha of the site surface is a key task, thanks to which pollutants will be stabilized in a soil and will not get into the plants. It will be ensured by addition of brown coal and fertilizing lime, which will increase reaction of the basis, which in turn will make impossible pollution penetration to plants. This way of the site management and the contact with the plants will be safe. The scientists from IETU have chosen these types of grass, which apart from the ability of collecting metals in roots also grow slowly. It will limit the necessity for frequent cutting and will decrease costs of the grass maintenance on the site.

Now the site looks like below but in a year it is going to be totally different picture.

The design of the site recreation function has been worked out by the team led by professor Krzysztof Rostański, who has included almost all ideas claimed by the inhabitants. There will be a “health path”, view tower, large playground for playing ball and for other sports, special recreation places located in original industrial constructions in form of “blocks”, barbeque stands.

The whole arrangement will complemented by specially selected native plants species which are attractive visually but also they are resistant to difficult conditions. These are oaks, birch and rowan as well as decorative grass. Birches will be dominating as trees which like light, are pioneers and have less requirements of humidity and soil fertility. Birches are this kind of trees which limit growing of other unacceptable plants. Nothing is growing on the area under them except grass – prof. Rostański is explaining, the author of the design.

LUMAT project coordinated by IETU will last until April 2019 in the framework of the INTERREG Programme for Central Europe. The total value of the project is about 10 mln zloties, out of which financing of the “Ruda Śląska” part is about 1 mln zloties. Apart from Ruda Śląska city other European cities are project partners such as Torino, Slovakian Trnava, Slovenian Kranj or Czech Ostrava as well as European research institutes.

Ruda Śląska City has also conquested 6 mln zloties from the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment, which will cover the cost of construction of so-called Ruda Route including biking-walking-roller route connecting Wirek and Nowy Bytom districts. In the framework of this project 7 large green areas will be revitalized, including parks and the post-zinc dumping site.

More information on the project website: www.interreg-central.eu

or on social media https://twitter.com/Lumat_project and https://www.facebook.com/lumatproject