Danube hits new historic level with thousands evacuated
As the Danube continues to run havoc in southern Romania, weather experts forecast further rainy days, entire villages completely submerged
published at 2006-04-18 in NINE O'CLOCK the English language newspaper of Romania.
The River's inflated waters continue to make important damages. The worst situation is at Calarasi. After a two-hour deferral, yesterday afternoon an explosion was set off for the controlled flooding of the Calarasi-Raul area. The pasture in Calarasi-Raul area was subject to controlled flooding as experts blew up a segment of the dam around 3:30 PM, in the second such operation on Borcea stream. The controlled flooding operation was carried out because an increase in the Borcea stream flow would have jeopardised the villages located along the stream.

Borcea stream increased over four metres as compared to the annual average. The controlled flooding is expected to re-channel approx. 300 million cubic metres of water in the coming 48 hours, which would reduce the Danube flow by approx. 600 cubic metres per second.

Prior to the detonation, gendarmes once again checked the area where the controlled flooding was to occur, in order to make sure no persons were present in the area.

Minister of Agriculture Gheorghe Flutur, also present, told the media prior to the detonation that authorities had deferred the operation because several people were found in farm buildings there.

The people were taken to Calarasi by helicopter. Flutur stated the "culprits were the business operators" who left watchmen at the farms.

A hotel was submerged on the night of Sunday through Monday, after a dike was broken by the waters of the Danube. The dike, built up by the owner of the hotel without considering such flows, was broken, the breach growing in a few minutes to 15 meters. The water, which rose to around two meters, inundated the ground floor of the hotel, the restaurant, the club and other buildings. Around 30 cars were entirely covered by the water. The tourists and the staff were saved by boats.

3,000 persons evacuated from Rast

Rast, a locality in Dolj County, is at this moment surrounded by waters. 700 houses are inundated, while 115 collapsed. According to the estimates of the authorities, 3,000 persons were evacuated or ran away from the waters, which is now two meters high in the households.

Some people insist however to remain on the site. They do not have any place to go, or hope that the worst has passed, and the waters will subside. The evacuated locals were offered places in the hostels from Bailesti, but they preferred to go to relatives in other localities. 200 children are sheltered in the hospital, at Poiana Mare, where they receive the necessary care and food.

According to Dolj Prefect, Nicolae Giugea, the authorities are ready to evacuate 10,000 from Bistret, Negoi, Rast and Ghidici, preparing 26 trucks, 11 of them already being at Rast. The county authorities have requested the Government to provide water and food for 6,000 persons. In Constanta county, over 100 persons from several localities were evacuated, hundreds of households and thousands of ha. of agricultural and grazing land being covered by the waters of the Danube.

The General Romanian Police Inspectorate announced that the circulation of the high tonnage and low vehicles is banned on DN 3B, between Fetesti and Braila, because of the floods.

Three quarters of the surface of Damen Shipyard submerged

Three quarters of the useful surface of Damen Shipyard was under the waters yesterday afternoon. The manager of the shipyard, Gelu Stan, said that around 500 employees and 170 workers of the contracting firms are on holiday. The management of the shipyard estimates that the losses suffered by the company so far amount to around one million Euro.

Almost 1,000 soldiers, gendarmes and workers from the city hall and several commercial companies were working yesterday to elevate dikes on the bank of the Danube, in other places that are in danger of inundation in Galati County. Dikes six km. long were erected until yesterday morning, to protect areas from the city of Galati.

The Danube flow decreases in the point of entry into the country

The flow of the Danube will fall in the coming days, between Bazias and Giurgiu, but it will grow from Giurgiu towards the river's mouth, declared yesterday the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Administration and Home Affairs (MAI), Victor Paul Dobre. The same stressed that apart from Calarasi, Fetesti and Galati, a difficult situation is met also in Dolj County, where a considerable staff of the National Defence Ministry, Gendarmerie and Police was sent to reduce the effects of the floods caused by the yielding of a dike.

Referring to the intervention equipment, Victor Paul Dobre said that ROL 100 bln were allotted by the end of the past year to rehabilitate the equipment, while this year the budget intended for emergencies is ROL 400 bln, money to be used for the acquisition of special vehicles used in case of fire, but also of floods, and also to buy engine boats. "Now, we must cope with the situation, improve our training and hire around 12,000 persons this year", added Victor Paul Dobre.

Referring to the authorizations issued for the constructions in the areas subject to floods, the Secretary of State in MAI mentioned that the local Prefectures from the area along the Danube are already under investigation to find out who has issued them, and to be punished in compliance with the law. Victor Paul Dobre also said that the damages for the land owners in the area subject to floods will be paid through the Ministry of Agriculture, stressing that measures have not yet been taken in connection with the dwellings.

As of wednesday, important rains around the country

The Ministry of Environment conveyed a new meteorological warning to all the Prefectures. The Emergency Centre for the Ministry cautions that during April 19-20 rains will fall all over the country, starting from the South-West. Locally, in Banat, Oltenia, Transylvania, in the mountain regions and in restricted areas in Moldavia and Muntenia, the quantities of water will exceed 20-25 l. per sq.m., in timeframes of up to 12 hours.
by Simona Popescu