site.btaState of Emergency in Pleven Region Extended through October 1

The state of emergency in Pleven Region was extended by order of Deputy Regional Governor Pavlin Filovski, the Pleven Regional Administration said Friday. The extensions kick off on September 9 and will continue through October 1.

The emergency situation impacts these areas in Pleven Municipality – the city of Pleven and the villages of Nikolaevo, Ralevo, Laskar, Bohot, Brestovets, Todorovo, Kushin, Bukovlak, Opanets, and Yasen. In Dolna Mitropoliya Municipality, it affects the towns of Dolna Mitropoliya and Trastenik and the villages of Bivolare and Pobeda.

Earlier today, the Pleven Water Utility Company reported that the most recent data indicate water supplied by the Cherni Osam Water Supply Group and regional sources remains insufficient to stabilize the water supply in Pleven and surrounding areas.

By order of Pleven Region Governor Nikolay Abrashev on September 2, a partial state of emergency was declared for a period of one week.

Citizens in Pleven Region have staged repeated demonstrations over the past year against the long-running water supply crisis. The protests, often centred at the Yasen junction of the Byala-Botevgrad road, have included road blockades, car processions and rallies outside Pleven Municipality. Protesters demand urgent replacement of the main water pipeline and restoration of supply, as well as transparency in the use of local water resources. The Municipal Council has held extended hearings with experts and citizens, but no lasting solution has yet been reached.