Municipalities and regional administrations in Southwest Bulgaria have taken action to clean riverbeds and inspect critical areas in anticipation of the rainy season. The measures are aimed at improving the conductivity of rivers and limiting the risk of flooding during intense rainfall.
According to BTA data and reports from local authorities, in recent months actions have been taken in Blagoevgrad region and in Sofia, where work is being done on sections of riverbeds and culverts in urbanized areas. In June, the Ministry of Environment and Water also ordered inspections of dams and riverbeds due to expected intense rainfall.
Preventive actions before autumn
In the Blagoevgrad region, institutions link the inspections to the accumulated problems after heavy rainfall in the summer. At the end of August, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov visited Strumyani, where, according to information from BTA, problems related to uncleaned riverbeds were discussed, following the complicated situation in the region. This put the maintenance of riverbeds in focus again before the more active rainy season.
Cleaning of river sections was also undertaken in Sliven, where the municipality began work after heavy rainfall along the Novoselska River. The local government indicated that the goal is to maintain the conductivity of the riverbeds and reduce the risk of difficult water drainage.
The dispute over responsibility remains
The topic of riverbed maintenance continues to give rise to an institutional dispute over who bears the main responsibility and who should provide funding. In Sliven, the regional governor, Mihail Kasherov, supported requests for changes to the rules, indicating that the current practice blurs responsibility between institutions. A similar thesis was expressed earlier by the Ministry of Environment and Water, which emphasized the importance of preventive inspections and coordination between the state and local authorities.
Experts and administrations on the ground report that during heavy rains, problems usually intensify in areas where there is sediment, vegetation, waste or narrowing of the riverbeds. That is why cleaning before autumn is considered one of the main measures to limit damage.
In Southwestern Bulgaria, monitoring of risk areas will continue in the coming weeks, as forecasts for autumn precipitation already place the topic of riverbeds among the priorities of local authorities.
Sources: BTA, Ministry of Environment and Water, Sliven Municipality, Sliven Regional Administration, Sofia Municipality