More than 300 workers intervened at over 400 addresses in the capital during Sunday and overnight after strong winds damaged several areas of the city, said Ion Ceban during the operational meeting of Chisinau City Hall.
He stated that intervention teams removed fallen trees, as well as roofs and fences damaged by the wind.
Ceban also responded to criticism regarding tree maintenance and removal works in the municipality.
“Those same people criticized yesterday the situation when trees were uprooted. In most cases, authorities removed tall, green, and heavy trees, some exceeding the height of buildings. That is why we will revise the planning and cleaning program for trees that pose a danger, regardless of criticism from so-called experts. It is, first and foremost, about people’s safety,” he said.
The mayor said that authorities will continue renewing green spaces and will replace old trees while planting new ones. “Just as we have planted hundreds of thousands of trees, we will also renew the old ones,” he added.
He also stressed the need to implement a centralized mobile alert system to inform the population quickly during extreme weather events.
“I also announced throughout the day and urged people not to leave their homes,” he concluded.
According to the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations, rescue teams intervened in 118 emergency situations during the orange-code weather warning. They removed fallen trees in 90 cases and cleared hazardous objects at risk of falling in 26 other situations.