The Sofia Municipality has started the cleaning of 170 sections of riverbeds passing through the urbanized territories of the city. The large-scale campaign covers routes with a total length of over 81 km and is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
„Prevention is the best protection against disasters. Cleaning riverbeds is a critically important activity that guarantees the conductivity of riverbeds and protects our city from floods. It is also care for the natural capital of our city“, said the Mayor of Sofia Vasil Terziev.
The activities started at two key sites: the Vladayska River near Blvd. „Acad. Ivan Geshov“ and the Kakach River in the “Vrabnitsa“ region.
“This activity is the actual preventive work that every municipality must do, precisely so that we do not witness floods and disasters, which in recent years we have inevitably seen every year in different parts of the country. We are investing in the security of the city and Sofia residents and we are working qualitatively to be prepared for disasters that we wish would never happen to us“, emphasized the Deputy Mayor for Ecology Eng. Nikolay Nedelkov on the ground at the start of the cleaning.
For the implementation of the program, the municipality has provided over 1,200,000 euros.
“The planned cleaning of the rivers passing through Sofia this year covers a record number of 170 sections with a length of 81 km – This is 15% more than the previous year and 25% more than in 2023, added Mayor Vasil Terziev.
The plan foresees that in the coming days work will continue on the Perlovska River, the culverts of the Southern Arc of the Ring Road, the Banishka River (Mladost District), the Suhodolska River (Ilinden District) and the Dragalevska River (Lozenets District).
Special focus is placed on critical sections with a risk of emergency situations, including the ravines on Planinets and Pancharitsa Streets. in the „Vitosha“ region, Adzhibaritsa River in „Studentski“, Novachitsa River in „Izgrev“ and Boyanska Bara River. Activities include:
Removal of wild shrub vegetation and dangerous trees.
Mechanized removal of sediment and waste (household, construction, automobile tires).
Transportation of waste to licensed landfills after draining.
The administration of Vasil Terziev is already expecting additional funding from the Interdepartmental Commission for Restoration and Assistance to the Council of Ministers for the cleaning of 66 additional areas on the territory of Sofia Municipality.