LUKAČ: PUBLIC WATER UTILITY AND CITY ADMINISTRATION MUST ENSURE WATER SUPPLY FOR RESIDENTS

BANJA LUKA, JUNE 28 /SRNA/ – It is the responsibility of the public water utility Vodovod and the Banja Luka City Administration to find a solution to the water shortages affecting several suburban settlements, Dragan Lukač, head of the SNSD caucus in the Banja Luka City Assembly, told SRNA.

"They have known about this problem for several years and must find an alternative way to supply people with water if the existing pipeline does not have sufficient capacity," Lukač stressed, recalling that communities in the Potkozarje area have been facing water shortages for several years because the pipeline cannot deliver enough water to all villages. For that reason, Lukač said, the City Assembly approved a loan to finance the construction of a new pipeline, which is currently under construction and is expected to be completed within the next month or two. "Nevertheless, the City Administration had access to a loan several years ago that could have been used to solve this pipeline problem, but the funds were spent for other purposes without considering that residents would face increasingly severe water shortages, which is exactly what has happened," Lukač said. He believes that little can be done until the new pipeline is completed and an adequate water supply is secured, particularly during the hot summer months when demand is at its highest. "Vodovod must find a solution. At the very least, it should provide water tankers, especially to villages where residents keep livestock and therefore consume larger quantities of water. You cannot simply tell them they are using too much water and that there will be none left. People need water, and Vodovod must ensure they have it," Lukač stressed.