In Romania, the areas prone to and otherwise affected by floods almost every year are well known. However, the authorities are often caught on the wrong foot by meteorological phenomena, and the way of intervention is harshly criticized by the population.
The horseshoe dike set up by Apele Române on the Borcea arm, Călăraşi area PHOTO Apele Române
The autumn rains always frighten the locals in the flood-prone areas of Romania. And this in the conditions where, almost every year, the watercourses near the villages come out of their source and flood both the agricultural lands and the peasants’ yards. The biggest problems are generally in the counties of Galați, Botoşani, Argeș, Dolj, Giurgiu, Mehedinți, Olt or Teleorman, with large areas of water gloss but also with many localities close to watercourses. In Botoşani County, for example, the Prut, Jijia and Miletin rivers, emerge almost every year and flood in the same areas. Although the places where floods usually hit are known, the authorities are caught off guard almost every year. Obviously, I blame the unpredictability of nature and the “surprise” floods.
Clogged ditches and ditches, waste thrown into the rivers
The truth is that many localities, especially those in flood zones, fail to cope with floods, because they are not even prepared. More precisely, there are areas where the localities do not have the gullies and ditches for the drainage of cleaned water. Many of these are clogged, that is, full of mud, dry leaves and all kinds of vegetable waste from the yards thrown into the ditch. Cleaned, the ditches would calm down the flood, but the water level would also be lower. In 2019, for example, in Botoșani county, a report indicated that 80% of the rural localities, controlled by a commission of the Prut Water Basin Administration, had the ditches and gutters on the communal and village roads, clogged, at least in the proportion of 30 %. The ditches and gullies should have been cleaned by the locals.
And the town halls are to blame, because they should notify the locals to unclog the ditches, and otherwise apply sanctions, based on the law. Obviously, neither one nor the other happens. In general, the authorities avoid, especially in an election year, ripping off citizens or imposing sanctions on them. There are also localities, from the flood zones, that also have problems with throwing garbage, especially from construction, on the river courses. In the case of heavy rains, the watercourse, already narrowed and clogged by waste, comes out of the dam and causes floods.
The climax, although these things are well known, present in official reports, indicated as necessary measures, especially in flood zones, no one seems to lift a finger, in time, precisely to avoid the damage. “Many times I have noticed that at the level of the town halls of the localities at risk of flooding, we have special problems also because of some bridges that are not prepared for a possible flood or maybe even unsealed ditches”stated three days ago, during a video conference with prefects, the Minister of the Environment, Mircea Fechet.
In addition, as shown by Euronews Romania, dozens of dams in our country, which actually protect localities from floods, need rehabilitation. Half of the existing dams in Romania operate without authorization, that is, they do not meet the minimum safety conditions.
The measures taken by the authorities have angered the people
In general, the measures taken by the authorities are heirupist, on the last hundred meters, with all kinds of checks only when it rains heavily or there is a flood at the door. They are not sustainable flood prevention measures. That is, actually enforcing the law on unclogging gullies and ditches, cleaning riverbeds, and rehabilitating and authorizing dams. Plus, additional measures in exposed areas, flooded year after year. The hastily arranged works by Romanian Waters, for example those at Ciocănești and Baital on the Borcea branch in Călărași county, have sparked people’s anger and a wave of ironies on social networks.
More precisely, it is about some temporary dikes made of sandbags, placed in a vertical position. “My son is 7 years old. My daughter is 5 years old. I can bet if I bring them to the scene with 2 lego dump trucks, they will come up with a system 5 times better than this sinister mess. Even they asked me: Dad, why did they put the bags on the feet? When the high water comes, won’t it push them over their heads?!,“ commented one netizen.
The layout that sparked the anger of internet users PHOTO Romanian Waters
Others are more blunt. “If this is also a defense wall against floods, I think all your bosses should resign from Apele Romaniane and go home! You are put there politically anyway and have no connection to the field.” “Sacks don’t fit like that, you incompetents”stated another. Those from Romanian Waters responded to each individual comment, stating that this is the norm and that everything is part of a larger defense plan. Obviously, the string of ironies continued. As well as that of the resignation requests within the Romanian Waters. In Botoșani county, near Baranca locality, Hudești commune, for example, the banks of the Prut have been eroded for more than three decades with major effects. Catastrophic floods have occurred twice. Even until today, no large-scale works have been done to stabilize the bank.
