LOW DANUBE WATER LEVELS DISRUPT NAVIGATION, TRAFFIC HALVED

BELGRADE, JULY 24 /SRNA/ - Record-low Danube water levels have threatened navigation and halved shipping traffic, according to "Yu Agent," a company engaged in water transport, freight forwarding, port services and ship agency operations.

The Danube water level at Serbia's first gauging station, Bezdan, was 102 centimetres today, with a further decline expected. Branko Savić from "Yu Agent" said that vessels are currently sailing on the Danube at only 25 to 30 percent of their capacity, which is a disaster for shipping companies. "On the other hand, navigation has slowed down because vessels are operating only during the day for safety reasons, which means that traffic has been halved. At such low water levels, only self-propelled vessels can navigate," Savić told RTV. Savić warned that both the sandy and rocky riverbeds pose an equal danger to cargo vessels. Water levels of minus one metre were also recorded in the summer of 2022, which restricted or halted navigation. The lowest water level on record was recorded in 1909, when a level of minus 146 centimetres was measured at Bezdan.