"The inhabitants of rural towns and cities also have the right to a big city standard of living, but this must be achieved in parallel with developments aimed at sustainability", Minister for Rural Development Sándor Fazekas declared on Saturday in Túrkeve, in the Northern Great Plains region.

Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of the small Jász-Kiskun-Szolnok County town's new wastewater treatment facility, Mr. Fazekas stressed that the Government, which views national issues as a priority, is contributing HUF 916 million to the project, proving that it supports the realisation of rural development plans not only in words, but also with actions.

Minister Fazekas explained that the Túrkeve project, which is in line with the goals of the National Rural Development Strategy, will increase local wastewater management capacity by 60 percent. As a result, it is hoped that within a few years the water quality of the Hortobágy-Berettyó canal, which runs through the area, will regain the level of purity is enjoyed fifty years ago, Mr. Fazekas said.

The Minister emphasised that the project, which will cost some HUF 1.1bn and is expected to be completed by the spring of 2015, will make the environment of almost 10 thousand people living in and around Túrkeve cleaner and healthier. In addition, it will provide opportunities for further development projects and thus facilitate job creation and open new horizons for the town's development.

Mayor of Túrkeve Zoltán Szabó said that the testing of another, similarly significant environmental protection project had also occurred recently; the construction of the methane gas extraction system connected to the thermal springs of the local medicinal baths cost 130 million forints and will improve air quality through stopping the emission of 106 tons of methane gas each year.

The electricity generated as a result of the project, which is expected to pay for itself over the next 7-9 years, is already enough to cover the energy requirements of the whole bath complex, he said, adding that surplus electricity is currently being fed into E.ON electricity company's grid, but will later be used to power other institutions in Túrkeve.

(MTI)