The Deputy Minister of the Environment and Water Petar Dimitrov and the Director of the Basin Directorate “East Aegean” Vasil Uzunov this late afternoon visited sections of the Stryama River, which overflowed its bed.

It was established that the river got out of its bed at the bridge in the town of Banya near the Plovdiv-Karlovo national road. The Dabene-Voynyagovo municipal road was inspected, but the bridge over this road could not be reached, as it had been destroyed by the overflowing water and the nearby culvert.

The water also flooded properties bordering the river on the left bank. Access to the village of Voynyagovo and the village of Rozino has been cut off, the situation in the village of Slatina is critical.

A section near the land of the village of Stoletovo was also inspected, the nearby properties had been flooded, including a factory through which water from the river passes.

“In relation to the high waters, the Basin Directorate has received up-to-date information from the NIMH about the amounts of water flowing to the Stryama river. Spills are expected near the village of Trilistnik. We notified the Regional Administration - Plovdiv, who informed the mayors of nearby settlements,” explained Deputy Minister Dimitrov.

“Tomorrow in daylight we will continue with the inspection downstream of Stryama after Trilistnik. It is expected that after the water enters the Maritsa River, the situation will begin to normalize,” he added.

Elsewhere in the East Aegean region, there are no reports of floods due to influx water from rivers. According to data from the early warning system for the watershed of the Maritsa and Tundzha rivers, the levels of the rivers (with the exception of the Stryama river) are below the alarm thresholds, which are not expected to be reached even with the rainfall in the next days.

Operational information will be collected and summarized with the created working process, whereby contact is maintained with the on-duty units of the regional and municipal administrations, mayors of settlements, “Irrigation Systems” EAD, the Main Directorate “Supervision of Dam Walls and Their Facilities” of the State Agency for Metrological and Technical Supervision, the National Electricity Company’s “Enterprise Dams and Cascades”, the regional structures of Fire Safety and Civic Protection. Processing operational information ensures monitoring of the condition of dams, rivers, as well as critical sections of dams, fortifications and affected settlements. Continuous contact is maintained with the competent authorities in the area of ​​the compromised dam on the Stryama River.