Chisinau Mayor Ion Ceban has reacted to the Government’s announcement that Ukraine will increase the water discharge into the Dniester River by approximately 20%. The mayor criticised how the decision has been presented and accused the authorities of trying in recent months to blame Chisinau City Hall for water-related problems.
Ceban argues that the situation on the Dniester is a strategic issue for which the central authorities are responsible, and says that the river continues to face serious problems in some parts of the country.
“An increase of 20% in the water flow of the Dniester River is being presented by the government and the media as a major success. The only positive thing in all this information is that they are finally publicly acknowledging that the water supply has been shut off.
“I regret that, over the past few months, there has been widespread manipulation at the state level and that they have repeatedly tried to blame me and Chisinau, when this is actually a strategic issue of national importance. I want to explain as simply and clearly as possible how much water the Dniester River actually needs and how much water it has.
“Meanwhile, in the north of the country, the river continues to die, while in the Soroca area the water is severely polluted because there is no wastewater treatment plant and all the waste from toilets flows into the river. This, too, is a matter for the state,” the mayor wrote.
The Republic of Moldova is set to receive more water from the Dniester after Ukraine agreed to increase the discharge from the Novodnistrovsk Hydropower Complex by approximately 20%. The decision was discussed during a meeting between Prime Minister Vasile Tofan, Energy Minister Dorin Junghietu, and Ukraine’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister, Denys Shmyhal.
According to the Government, the hydrological situation along the upper reaches of the Dniester remains difficult, but the increased water flow could help improve conditions along the river. Officials also discussed the energy crisis, including cooperation between the two countries in the natural gas and electricity sectors.