Small rivers of Moldova on the verge of extinction

Environmental organizations have sounded the alarm. Small rivers in the country are polluted and dry, they are almost on the verge of complete disappearance. The reason for this is the illegal creation of artificial reservoirs in the basin of these rivers and the absence of treatment facilities in a number of settlements, as a result of which the quality of water resources of the republic suffers, Radio Moldova reports.

According to Vladimir Garaba, Chairman of the Chisinau territorial organization of the Ecological Movement of Moldova, the problem is aggravated by the fact that in many settlements water intake from natural reservoirs is often carried out illegally by land tenants.

“We have seven or eight official water intake facilities in the republic. In other cases, the pumping of water for personal needs, as well as the creation of artificial ponds without permission and without the presence of project documentation are illegal acts. However, as well as the arrangement of garbage dumps on the banks of small rivers. In such cases, the beds of small rivers change, they lose their sources and tributaries, the water in them either evaporates or goes to another depth. The drying up of small rivers seriously affects the general state of the republic’s ecosystems, says Vladimir Garaba.

In his view, the problem of small rivers would not be solved until rural areas were provided with centralized water supply, sewerage systems and sewage treatment facilities.

Director of the Apele Moldovei Agency Vyacheslav Vladichescu announced a number of measures aimed at improving the situation in the basins of small and medium-sized rivers.

These include: the elimination of sources of water pollution, the cleaning and improvement of keys from which small rivers originate, the removal of illegally erected dams for irrigation or the installation of a watering hole for livestock. All this will ensure the natural filling of the channels with water throughout the year, preventing the drying up of small rivers.

The Ministry of Environmental Protection argues that any actions to protect young and middle-aged years will be fruitless in the absence of awareness of the importance of small rivers in the ecosystems of the region and the need to keep their beds clean and in order.

The hydrographic network of the Republic of Moldova consists of 3621 rivers, the total length of which is 16 thousand kilometers.

Source: www.ecology.md