The low level of the Danube poses risks not only to shipping, but also to drinking water supply, water quality and energy infrastructure. This was warned in “The Day Begins“ on BNT by hydrogeologist and former Minister of Environment and Water Assen Lichev.
According to him, archival data on the state of the river show that Bulgaria has been observing changes in the Danube for decades, but is not taking sufficient measures to manage it.
“90 years of observation, 90 years of inaction. This is my conclusion.“
Lichev explained that the Bulgarian section of the Danube is 460 kilometers long – from Novo Selo to Silistra. To illustrate the scale of the current low water, he made a comparison with the Maritsa River.
“Let's imagine that at average water levels this river is full of as much water as 60 Maritsa at average water levels. Currently, 45 Maritsa are missing from this section.“
According to him, the most serious risk is related to the drinking water supply of the settlements along the Danube.
“The consequences are, first of all, that I am most concerned about the risk to the drinking water supply. Because all the Danube towns are supplied with water from the Danube terrace. This drop in the Danube level leads to a decrease in the flow of the rivers.“
Lichev also warned of a possible deterioration in water quality due to the smaller volume of the river.
„Second, deterioration in water quality. Because the pollutants that flow into the Danube in quantity remain the same. But the water is now only a quarter. There is nowhere to dilute it.“
Among other consequences, he pointed out problems for fish populations, wastewater discharge, energy infrastructure and shipping.
„Third, when local ponds and puddles are formed, fish diversity is blocked. The temperature there rises to 30 degrees, there is no oxygen and the fish also die. Fourth, the deep-sea discharge of wastewater in some places comes to the surface and less stops smelling in the cities themselves, but starts to smell from the Danube, but this leads to other harmful processes. Fifth, the risk to the NPP. Let's thank our brilliant engineers who then decided in this way that the Bulgarian NPP is safe in this drought. Sixth, the transport of passengers and cargo to the Black Sea stops, i.e. the Danube to the Black Sea waterway at Cherni Voda is interrupted.“
As a possible solution, Lichev pointed to the long-discussed hydrotechnical projects Nikopol-Turnu Magurele and Silistra-Kaluraş. According to him, they would allow the river level to be managed around average values.