STATE OF EMERGENCY DUE TO DRINA RIVER LEVEL

ZVORNIK, JANUARY 6 /SRNA/ – A state of emergency has been declared in the city of Zvornik today due to the rapid rise of the Drina River, whose current flow at the Mali Zvornik Hydroelectric Power Plant /HPP/ is approximately 2,350 cubic meters per second, and a significant increase in water levels is expected in the afternoon, potentially reaching 2,700 cubic meters per second.

Bojan Ivanović, President of the City's Emergency Situations Headquarters, said after an emergency meeting that two cars were submerged overnight in a parking area near the Drina due to the sudden rise in water levels. "Thanks to the swift action of the police and fire brigade, who came to assist, the owners of many vehicles were able to move their cars to safer locations," Ivanović said, stressing that the downstream flow of the Drina threatens the Terminal settlement in Karakaj and the Weekend settlement in Šepak. Ivanović, also the mayor of Zvornik, told reporters that Civil Protection and fire brigade teams are on the ground in these areas, taking measures together with local residents according to the state of the river. He added that the City Headquarters is in constant contact with the management of the Mali Zvornik HPP and monitoring the situation to manage the sudden release of water from the facility. Pointing out that the current flow of the Drina at the Bajina Bašta HPP is around 2,350 cubic meters per second, Ivanović said that all preventive measures are being implemented in Zvornik to minimize the impact of the expected surge, which is projected to reach approximately 2,700 cubic meters per second.