STATE OF EMERGENCY DECLARED DUE TO FLOOD RISK - IMMEDIATE SHUTDOWN OF AGGREGATES AT PIVA HPP REQUESTED

FOČA, JANUARY 6 /SRNA/ – A state of emergency has been declared in Foča due to the risk of flooding in the Donje Polje area, which could occur unless the "Mratinje" Hydropower Plant /HPP/ on the Piva River urgently shuts down its aggregates, the Municipal Emergency Situations Headquarters announced.

Head of the Municipal Emergency Situations Headquarters Milan Vukadinović said after the crisis staff meeting that it is his duty to protect citizens’ lives, property, the economy and resources. "I appeal and urgently request that the `Mratinje` HPP shut down the aggregates which could potentially cause immeasurable damage to human lives and the economy of the Municipality of Foča," Vukadinović stressed. He added that otherwise the local community faces an extremely difficult situation, noting that municipalities downstream from Foča are also at risk, and that he will urgently send official requests to all competent authorities in Republika Srpska and Montenegro. Rain has not stopped for the third consecutive day, all rivers are swollen, and the greatest threat comes from the Drina River which, at its confluence with the Ćehotina, forces the latter upstream and threatens to flood the Donje Polje settlement. The area downstream along the Drina toward Jošanica is also endangered. Head of the Municipal Emergency Situations Headquarters Milan Vukadinović emphasized that the situation is alarming and that water has already entered the mechanical facilities of the “Ušće” Aqua Park. He warned that the main problem is caused by the aggregates of the "Mratinje" HPP, which resumed operation several hours ago. Currently, as he said, three aggregates are in operation. Vukadinović requested that the "Power Utility Company of Republika Srpska" and the relevant ministry urgently take appropriate measures, namely to attempt, together with the "Power Utility Company of Montenegro" and the management of "Mratinje," to compensate electricity production so that the hydropower plant shuts down at least two aggregates, in order to avoid a situation similar to that in 2010, when half of Foča was flooded. Heavy precipitation, first snow and then rain, caused a collapse of the power grid in the Municipality of Foča, leaving almost the entire rural area without electricity for the third consecutive day. Vukadinović said that Foča’s "Power Distribution Company" is making extraordinary efforts to restore the grid, but cannot do so without assistance from other power utility companies in Republika Srpska. Head of the Foča Distribution Unit Milenko Pljevaljčić said the situation is catastrophic and that nothing like this has happened in the past 15 years, as there are numerous problems in all directions. "Snow tore down power lines, trees fell from distances of 25 to 30 meters onto low- and medium-voltage lines, and currently most suburban areas do not have a regular electricity supply," Pljevaljčić said. He added that the biggest problem is that a similar situation exists in all operating units covered by the Pale "Power Distribution Company". Nine workers from the Foča distribution unit have been continuously engaged in the field for the third day in a row. "It is impossible to reach every consumer. I appeal to the management of the `Power Utility Company`, the parent company, to provide us with assistance from other power distribution companies that have not been affected by such severe weather," Pljevaljčić said. An additional problem for the citizens of Foča is unsafe drinking water from the city water supply, which has become turbid due to heavy rainfall.