A thousand water experts are working to combat the drought

(Photo: Pixabay)

Imre Hubai, who is also the head of the operational team for drought protection, said that they are striving to provide as much of the available water resources as possible to the landscape. The State Secretary added that so far, approximately 180-200 million cubic meters of additional water have been transferred from surface watercourses and placed in the landscape. In addition to improving the ecological state of the landscape, this is also important in supplying water to vegetation and animals and watering game. He said that the persistent water shortage has been going on for the second year, and small watercourses and canals cannot fill with water. He indicated that they managed to join forces with local governments, regional parliamentarians, experts in the water sector and all operators who operate irrigation systems, fish ponds and fishing lakes as farmers, as a result of which the damage caused by the drought has already been largely mitigated this year. He added that the rainfall that arrived at the beginning of July also helped in this, which reduced the pressure on surface water resources.

Approximately 650 million cubic meters of water are stored so that it can be used if needed

“The irrigation season is still going on for a long time, this will use up the reserves for about another month, but at the same time, we have accumulated the 170-180 million cubic meters of water needed to meet the irrigation needs of farmers for up to a year,” said Imre Hubai, adding that in addition, an additional 300 million cubic meters serve the ecological water supply. The state secretary announced at a press conference held on the banks of the Bodrog River that experts had delivered nearly half a million cubic meters of additional water to the region through the Felsőberecki main canal in the space of two weeks, which will thus save it from an ecological disaster caused by drought. He indicated that, if necessary, fishing ponds operating in the area would also receive water. Imre Hubai thanked the approximately one thousand people working in drought control for their work. He drew attention to the fact that more than 170 pumps and 190 machines are being operated day and night. Boglárka Bánné Gál (Fidesz-KDNP), the president of the Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county government, announced at the press conference that they will be visiting five stations in the region to learn about the water management measures that have been taken in the Bodrogköz and Bodrogzug, which have a positive impact on local farmers, and to examine what measures may be needed in the future. Richárd Hörcsik, the Fidesz MP for the region, thanked them for their help in drought control and said that without them, the two backwaters of the Bodrog would have dried up.

AM/MTI