site.btaPleven Mayor, Regional Governor Brief President on Water Shortage Measures

Pleven Mayor Valentin Hristov and Regional Governor Nikolay Abrashev briefed President Rumen Radev on the measures being taken to address the water shortage crisis during a meeting at the city hall on Thursday.

The discussion focused on the current state of Pleven’s water supply, the challenges faced, and the actions already underway to address them.

"We are currently focused on short- and medium-term measures to tackle the water crisis," Pleven Mayor Hristov told reporters after the meeting. "Work is underway and everything possible is being done. All institutions are now working together. We are all on the same team and we have a shared goal. We have the government’s support. This has been the case since the regular cabinet took office," Hristov said. He added that water supply will be restored when all measures are implemented.

Regional Governor Nikolay Abrashev said that efforts to clean the canal that will channel water to irrigate the wells are progressing rapidly. He added that the military has also been involved. "These problems have existed for over a decade, and no one has taken the initiative to dig up the city, but we will," Abrashev said. He also mentioned plans to drill new wells and clear the canals.

"I believe that we will resolve the issue as soon as possible with the short-term, medium-term, and long-term measures that have been outlined," Abrashev said. The Regional Governor added that water supplies from the state reserve, along with donations from the regional administration in Ruse for schools and kindergartens, have already arrived and are being distributed.

Abrashev noted that Pleven might be the only regional city that has not fully completed its project for the construction of water supply and sewerage infrastructure. 

Thursday's meeting was also attended by Deputy Mayor Kaloyan Kadriyski, Pleven Water Supply and Sewerage Company Manager Kliment Todorov, Rumen Marinchev from the Danube Region Basin Directorate, and the manager of the Irrigation Systems EAD Middle Danube branch, Ivanichka Raicheva.