ZAGREB, 20 Sept (Hina) – Hrvatske Vode water management company CEO Zoran Đuroković on Friday informed the government about the flood defence measures taken so far to make Croatia ready for the rising water levels of the Danube.
The peak of the rising levels is expected on 25 September, he said.
Currently the flood peak is 300 kilometres upstream the Danube. Our colleagues in Hungary have informed us that the water levels in Budapest will be about 840 centimetres in Budapest tomorrow, he said.
Đuroković expects the Danube water levels to go over 650 centimetres in Croatia this weekend.
We have had enough time to inspect all flood defence structures and we have established round the clock guards, while competent staff in Osijek-Baranja and Vukovar-Srijem Counties are on alert, said Đuroković.
The flood defence measures envisage the engagement of Civil Protection members as well as by the staff of the Croatian Mountain Rescue Service (HGSS) plus 300 army soldiers, if necessary.
Segment of the embankments have been reinforced and 10,000 sand bags have been distributed.
Environment Protection Minister Marija Vučković informed the government that all the embankments in the area concerned are higher than the anticipated level of rising water.
In the last eight years, over €450 million have been invested to reduce flood risks, she added.
Furthermore, €100 million is spent annually on the maintenance of the flood defence system.
Assistance to Czechia
The government decided today to send 80В dehumidifiers, the value of which is €176,000, to the Czech Republic.
Interior Minister Davor Božinović said that the civil protection directorate is participating in monitoring and coordination of assistance to central European countries ravaged by Storm Boris and flooding in the recent days.
