Three Romanian counties left without water for irrigation as Danube levels run low

Romania’s agriculture minister Petre Daea said the irrigation systems in the counties of Teleorman, Olt and Dolj can no longer be supplied with water due to the very low level of the Danube.

“The waters have moved away from the shore, and despite all the measures taken to dredge the supply channels, we no longer have water at the intakes,” reads Daea’s post on Facebook.

Moreover, at Zimnicea, “part of the Danube ford has turned into a beach,” the minister also said.

On a more positive note, crops have not been affected in the permitters that are still irrigated.

In this context, minister Daea said that the investments in the country’s irrigation system need to be accelerated: “Now all the attention is directed towards the investment works, following the execution schedules and imposing an accelerated pace of the works, in such a way that we realize our investment program for the rehabilitation of the irrigation system in Romania.”

“We turn the interruption of water pumping into the system into a good opportunity to carry out work in the pumping stations and to waterproof the supply and distribution channels,” Daea also said, adding that upgrading the irrigation system is a priority for the Ministry of Agriculture.

According to a forecast made by the National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management (INHGA), valid until July 30, 2022, the flow rate of the Danube river at the point of entry to Romania’s section will decrease over the next week to the value of 1,850 cubic meters per second (m3/sec). The figure is much lower than the multi-annual average for July (5,350 m /s).

(Photo source: Facebook/Petre Daea)