site.bta Regional Minister Koritarova: Cherni Osam Reservoir Project Being Re-Activated

In order to solve the 30-year water rationing in Pleven and Lovech (Northern Bulgaria), the Cherni Osam Reservoir Project is being re-activated, Regional Development Minister Violeta Koritarova said on Friday. She was speaking to the media after a working meeting with Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev, who received regional governors and ministers to discuss how to address the country's water shortage and natural disasters more effectively. He called for direct and speedy coordination between the government and regional governors.

Under the Regional Ministry’s programme for the development of municipal infrastructure, there are 452 proposals for the rehabilitation of water and sewerage infrastructure for over BGN 1.5 billion, Koritarova said. This is a start and it should be a priority in the coming years for all local authorities to submit projects to prevent the loss of drinking water, the Minister added.

In the 1960s, the necessity of building a dam on the Cherni Osam River was discussed, as the initial idea envisaged the construction of a concrete dam of 100 meters high. The construction of the dam started in 1986 and was halted in 1990 due to dissatisfaction expressed by the local population, concerning the negative impact of the project on the environment and pending expropriation procedures, the statement read.