The Mayor of the city of Pleven, Dr. Valentin Hristov, commented on the BNT broadcast on the ongoing water crisis and how the municipality is dealing with it.
"So far, what we have done is according to the measures that were given to us by the MRDPW in accordance with the government. They are short-term, medium-term and long-term. What the municipality is doing is working on the medium-term measures, i.e. It prioritized its projects, which are with the MRDPW and submitted them to the Ministry of Finance and MRDPW for approval, which are related to the water supply infrastructure, with the replacement of the water supply network, which is very outdated and this leads to drastic water losses in the city, nearly 75-78%. With the short measures we have taken, we are actually helping the water supply company with equipment and workers,", said Dr. Valentin Hristov.
The mayor explained that the projects for the water cycles of the cities are not made by the municipalities.
"The water cycles of the cities are not carried out by the municipalities. They are financed by the state. The water supply company also participates there. Water supply companies can also participate in operational programs, where the pipes for clean water and sewage are replaced. Pleven has missed two water cycles. The last water cycle was in 2016. This is from the previous management. It was not done then. It was only partial. Networks were replaced in two villages in the municipality and the water treatment plant in Bozhuritsa was repaired. After that, nothing was done. I will just mention that according to data from the Water and Sewerage Department, in 2011, the losses in the city of Pleven were 52%. Everything that citizens are forced to endure is a result of the long period of inaction," commented Dr. Valentin Hristov.