"Elenite“ and Tsarevo show that we do not learn from our mistakes, we do not learn from history. This was said by the former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, forester and university lecturer Assoc. Prof. Georgi Kostov in the program "Bulgaria, Europe and the World in Focus“ on Radio "Focus“.
Construction in ravines with large watersheds, even if they are currently dry, always hides serious risks. "Historically, the people who created the settlements did not build up the river beds. It is no coincidence that in the initial project of "Elenite" no construction was carried out within the river bed. Later, however, these territories were built up", explained Assoc. Prof. Kostov.
This is a mass case, he added. Often these territories are settled and built up with illegal buildings and entire Roma neighborhoods are formed there. Examples of this are the "Asparuhovo" neighborhood in Varna and Velingrad, pointed out Georgi Kostov.
The situation with settlements by the sea is radically different, he noted.
"The tacit economic interest that something should be built just because it is on the coast is causing the administration to delay its actions. In 2020, due to a requirement of a European Commission directive, a mapping of all potential flood catchments was carried out, i.e. where there is a real danger of flooding.
"This has been done and presented to the Ministry of Environment and Water, and in turn to the relevant basin directorates, which were supposed to mark all such places in the cadastre, and where there is construction in a potentially dangerous place, as in "Elenite", specific measures should be taken to secure it. They have found that there are some small pipes that have been laid and that cannot absorb high water, they have delayed the relevant information to the cadastre, i.e. the digitalization of this territory. The situation is the same in the Shabla region – there are also potential places mapped as dangerous, but they have not yet been digitalized. We can only suspect whether this was done due to some vested interests, due to administrative negligence or due to ignorance. But all three things do not justify the many administrative bodies that allowed this to happen“, Georgi Kostov was categorical.
Proving personal guilt in such cases, however, is very difficult and usually they end in the same way.
According to the former Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, real solutions require recognition of weaknesses and an approach to integrated, complex management of natural resources. "No natural resource - neither water, nor forest, nor agricultural land, can exist on its own, without connection with the other components. One of the solutions is to have publicity of the information required by European and our legislation. If there is information that the relevant place is threatened by floods, torrents or other disasters, an investor will think about whether to invest. The cadastre was until recently inaccessible to ordinary citizens, let alone such maps for flood risk and other natural disasters that have been developed in Bulgaria. At the municipal level, they can be developed and brought down to the property level so that people have an idea when they buy a property where it falls. The same should happen with the land fund – all transformations of the public fund must be public and accessible“, explained Assoc. Prof. Kostov.
Currently, there is no integrated water and land management and each department works for itself. “This hinders integrated management and clogs the decision-making process“, said the expert.
Construction in risky places can be removed or facilities can be prepared to protect against the highest waters. "In any case, the solution will be very expensive and I fear that in a few months we will forget about this case because we will be talking about some next problem. We need to talk comprehensively and constantly, this cannot be media news only when we have a problem", emphasized Assoc. Prof. Kostov.