Army, police help water shortage stricken areas

Serbia's army and police are expected to join efforts to alleviate water shortages in central and western Serbia. City of Cacak officials, however, say that water trucks slated to be sent to the drought-affected areas will not suffice. Army, police help water shortage stricken areas Serbian Army (VS) deputy chief of the Emergency Situations Directorate Branko Jovanovic said today that water supplies would be distributed in accordance with the demands of the municipal representatives. The army is set to send 11 mobile and 15 stationary water tanks. But Director of the Public Company Cacak Waterworks Zoran Pantovic told B92 that this will not be enough to solve water shortage problems in the area. Pantovic confirmed that the town’s children's hospital had not been affected by water cuts and added that it would not happen in the future, but said that the fifth floor of the hospital did run out of water. Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Sasa Dragin said his ministry's priority will be to start construction works on the accumulation lake Svrackovo. During yesterday’s visit to Gornji Milanovac, where he met with presidents of five municipalities of Western Serbia, the minister announced that the help would be provided to the municipalities that were facing the lack of water supplies. Yesterday, the government asked all state bodies and local self-government units to help the regions that were the most affected. National Investment Plan (NIP) provided EUR 3.7mn for the works at Svrackovo. The project, meant to solve regional water supply issues, was designed in 1987, but to this day the land had not been bought from its owner. But Dragin thinks that a long term solution can be found. "The Ministry for Agriculture has asked the expropriation to be done immediately, so that we can as early as this year begin the process of finalizing the Svrackovo project, that would take three years and which could permanently solve the water supplying problems of 300,000 people living in that part of Serbia,” the minister said. The water supply from the Rzav regional system that supplies the towns of Arilje, Pozega, Lucani, Cacak and Gornji Milanovac has been reducing each day, due to a dry spell and the low water level of the river. The authorities introduced water cuts on August 14. A scene from central Serbia (FoNet)

Army, police help water shortage stricken areas

Serbian Army (VS) deputy chief of the Emergency Situations Directorate Branko Jovanović said today that water supplies would be distributed in accordance with the demands of the municipal representatives.

The army is set to send 11 mobile and 15 stationary water tanks.

But Director of the Public Company Čačak Waterworks Zoran Pantović told B92 that this will not be enough to solve water shortage problems in the area.

Pantović confirmed that the town’s children's hospital had not been affected by water cuts and added that it would not happen in the future, but said that the fifth floor of the hospital did run out of water.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Saša Dragin said his ministry's priority will be to start construction works on the accumulation lake Svračkovo.

During yesterday’s visit to Gornji Milanovac, where he met with presidents of five municipalities of Western Serbia, the minister announced that the help would be provided to the municipalities that were facing the lack of water supplies.

Yesterday, the government asked all state bodies and local self-government units to help the regions that were the most affected.

National Investment Plan (NIP) provided EUR 3.7mn for the works at Svračkovo. The project, meant to solve regional water supply issues, was designed in 1987, but to this day the land had not been bought from its owner.

But Dragin thinks that a long term solution can be found.

"The Ministry for Agriculture has asked the expropriation to be done immediately, so that we can as early as this year begin the process of finalizing the Svračkovo project, that would take three years and which could permanently solve the water supplying problems of 300,000 people living in that part of Serbia,” the minister said.

The water supply from the Rzav regional system that supplies the towns of Arilje, Požega, Lučani, Čačak and Gornji Milanovac has been reducing each day, due to a dry spell and the low water level of the river.

The authorities introduced water cuts on August 14.