site.btaDrainage Infrastructure in Bulgaria Not Adequate for Current Climatic Conditions, Says Environment Minister

The drainage infrastructure in Bulgaria is not adequate for the current climatic conditions, said caretaker Minister of Environment and Water Petar Dimitrov on Friday in Beloslav. 

The minister made a visit to the town in order to learn about the consequences of the heavy rain that fell there on Wednesday. Due to the flood, Beloslav Mayor Deyan Ivanov declared a partial state of emergency. 

On Friday, Ivanov noted that about 100 litres of rain per square metre fell in just two hours. A ravine overflowed and about 50 centimetres of mud accumulated in the low parts. Luckily, no people were injured. 

Ivanov and Dimitrov thanked the Academy for Firefighters in Varna, whose graduates were actively involved in the clean up of the town, where 52 households reported rain-induced damage. Flooded schools were cleaned after the flood, so the town is expected to start the new school year in normal conditions, said Ivanov.

Dimitrov said that floods nowadays have a different character compared to the past and are most often caused by extremely heavy rainfall in a small drainage basin. More serious consequences did not occur in the town thanks to the municipal administration, which took care of the local canal's passability, he pointed out. 

The methodology for determining the maximum hydrological sizing quantities is inadequate today, as it was made in the 1970s and must therefore be updated, the minister emphasized. He noted that the ministry has presented to the Council of Ministers a report on the subject in 2023, as well as a programme with specific measures and deadlines.

The state of the drainage infrastructure is checked every year, with about 70% of the monitored sections falling into the "most risky" category, Dimitrov added. In the majority of cases, ensuring the conductivity of riverbeds, ravines and canals does not even require large investments, just a good will from the local authorities, he pointed out. According to him, when these sections are out of regulation, it is right for the regional governors to take care of their cleaning.