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Interior Minister Marcel Vela said Friday in Lugoj, Timis County, that this year they managed to save lives during the floods in the western region of Banat, which exceeded the 2005 floods considered to be historic, but risks should be avoided for the future, adding that technical and financial solutions must be found to eliminate the causes that lead to such disasters.
Vela said that he was looking into the causes that led to the breaking of some dams in Banat, with the explanation being that the hydrographic space there has been neglected by the former water officials.
"The Banat area has been neglected as all the dams elsewhere in Romania have been rehabilitated, analysed and rebalanced to a safe level in line with European directives. I, and my colleagues who manage waters, want to clarify this situation at regional level in Banat, to find technical and financial solutions to eliminate in the future the causes that produce negative effects and disasters that can have dramatic consequences. This year we have managed to save lives. We can't risk in the future. I want to improve things and bring these counties to a state of normalcy. Every year, spring and autumn there are problems," said Vela.
Vela mentioned that the damage assessment has not been completed, as work is still being done to remove water from buildings, but the situation will be centralised at the level of the ministry, via prefectures, and a piece of legislation will be promoted to grant compensations.
On Friday, Vela paid a visit to the counties of Caras-Severin and Timis, in areas affected by floods. Vela was accompanied by senior official with the Ministry of Environment Leonard Achiriloaei, Director General of the Romanian Waters National Administration Ervin Molnar, and the Chief of the General Emergency Management Inspectorate Dan-Paul Iamandi.
As many as 58 localities in 16 counties have been affected by floods due to heavy rainfall of late, with firefighters acting in the last 24 hours to evacuate water from 25 houses, 346 yards, 73 cellars /basements and 11 streets.
