Kyustendil is on the verge of a water regime. The drinking water intakes that supply the city are 70 years old and are in an emergency state. All institutions raise the problem of completing the “Kyustendil“ dam, but there is no official solution.
This was said at a press conference to BTA by the regional governor Alexander Pandurski, who reported on the work of the administration over the past year.
According to him, there has been no water crisis in Kyustendil so far due to the skillful redirection of water quantities by the management of “Kyustendilska voda“ EOOD, as well as the rainfall. The decrease in population and the fact that enterprises that used a lot of water in the past no longer exist contribute to solving the problems with water supply at the moment, explained Pandurski.
As the biggest challenge in the work of the Kyustendil Regional Administration, Pandurski pointed out the problems in the water sector and its consolidation. He defined as a success the entry of “Kyustendilska voda“ EOOD - the main operator to the Water Supply and Sewerage Association (WSS) on the territory of the Dupnitsa municipality. According to him, the service is already offered in a satisfactory condition on the territory of the municipality. An invitation to join the WSS association has also been sent to the Sapareva Banya Municipality, but so far there has been no positive response. Pandurski emphasized that a new law is being prepared in this direction, through which the consolidation will be carried out and thus problems that were on the agenda during the year, such as the “Robovitsa“ water catchment and the water shortage in the region of Kocherinovo, Boboshevo and Rila.
As a second challenge, Pandurski pointed out the problems in the field of waste collection, storage and utilization.
“We are the only region that still does not have a regional waste collection landfill“, recalled Pandurski and pointed out that the Ministry of Environment and Water has given a categorical opinion to start construction work. Pandurski expressed gratitude to the Mayor of Dupnitsa Municipality Parvan Dangov for the start of payment of debts to the Regional Inspectorate for Environment and Water (RIOSV) for the closed landfills in Dupnitsa. According to the regional governor, this provides an opportunity to finance the regional landfill.
The third challenge in the work of the Regional Administration, according to Pandurski, is related to the smooth energy transition. He pointed out that some of those who lost their jobs due to the closure of mining enterprises have found a livelihood in other cities or abroad, but there are people who are more disabled, sick or socially disadvantaged. According to the regional governor, these people have worked hard over the years and now need society to take care of them. Pandurski noted that we are facing the new challenges posed by the Green Transition and the same should not be allowed to happen to young people and make them leave.
“Here we must also note the assistance that the European Union gave us through the Regional Development Program and the Just Transition Plan of Kyustendil Region, which provides an opportunity to adapt to the new conditions and create a better economic and social climate“, pointed out Pandurski and added that thanks to the regional administration, a Subcommittee for Just Transition was established, which includes representatives of various institutions. Among the decisions of the Subcommittee, he noted a decision to include employer organizations in staff training and a proposal to include municipalities as beneficiaries of industrial and logistics parks. In his words, these are things that will help the transition to be better adapted to the problems of employers, workers and society.
The regional governor also said that next year, funding is expected for important sites related to the rivers in the region. According to him, in the area of the bridge over the Struma River near the village of Mursalevo, there is a danger that the road to the villages of Dragodan and Frolosh will collapse. Riverbed cleaning is underway near the village of Vaksevo and the town of Bobov Dol, as well as near the village of Usoyka, where the river could compromise the “Struma“ Highway. For several years, funding has also been expected for work on the beds of the Banshtitsa and Bistritsa rivers in the Kyustendil region. According to Pandurski, next year, an option for financing the maintenance of the Regional Administration will be sought.
Pandurski expressed gratitude for the work of firefighters and forest workers in extinguishing forest fires in the region.
The Regional Governor recalled that this year marks 25 years since the institution of Regional Governor existed.