Specialists of THE Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development are surveyed by the areas affected by floods in Rezekne municipality

This week, a group of experts from the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development (VARAM) surveyed several municipalities in Latgale to explore the damage caused by floods and their consequences. In the municipality of Rēzekne, the ministry specialists surveyed the flood-washed and emergency work with the northern dam of Luban Lake lake, as well as still underwater road AT Nagļu parish in Zvejsalos. They are, of course, not the only flood damage in the Rēzekne municipality, there are still many roads under the water, mostly in those parishes located in the Icha river basin -- Gaigalava, Nagles, Nautriene, etc.
The multiple long-term rays and the floods caused by them have led to losses of Latvian local governments and residents of Latvia, which are estimated to be around 4.7 million EURO. The municipality of Rezekne has submitted to the Ministry a request to compensate for the amount of damage caused by floods – 464 257 EURO. As explained BY the Dzintra Musikante, head of the local government department of local government, since the losses caused by the municipality of Rezekne do not exceed 2% of the planned budget expenditure, the Cabinet regulations foresee that 30% of the amount (139 277 EURO) should be paid by the local government itself as co-financing. “We have foreseen EUR 324 980 FOR the municipality of Rezekne, which will be paid to the municipality after receipt of the final opinion of the Ministry of Finance.”
On 28 September, THE first meeting of the Coordination Council on damages and municipal action in emergency situations will be held. AS Deputy Director of Local Government, Arnis Šults, while attending the Rēzekne District, acknowledged that the information about the rays and their potential consequences for Latgale Municipalities was not available in time, although it was expected by a national civil protection plan which had expired. In order to improve coordination of the action, the CABINET of MINISTERS approved six new civil protection cooperation areas on 26 September.
“At the meeting of the Council meeting on 28 September, we will also talk about the need to create a single website in an Internet environment where both institutions and citizens can find out how to act in the event of a disaster. The Coordination Council will submit proposals and then we hope to improve the system and activity. We learn from the mistakes that were already happening in these rays – there was no information to the public that these things would be so impressive,” - emphasized. Shine.
The municipality of Rezekne is one of 29 municipalities in Latvia, where an emergency situation was announced at the end of August due to the critical situation resulting from the damage caused by floods to agricultural enterprises. By 1 October, the acceptance of the applications of farmers affected by the emergency situation and the finding of actual damage in accordance with the areas declared in 2017 in the rural support service shall be carried out. By November 1, 2017, an informative report on total losses of farmers with proposals regarding the amount of compensation will be prepared and submitted to the Cabinet.
Now is a very beautiful time, a pleasure to watch people in Latgale work as much as possible to save the harvest. The effects of floods are seen not so much on the roads of the country, but when driving through local roads, the impression is quite horrible, the damage to the rural people has been caused by large, ”– in its impressions after the survey of Vilaka, Baltinava, Carlos and Rezekne, the survey is shared. Musicante.
Anna Rancāne
Autores photo