Draught causes damages worth over 4,000 billion lei

The Agriculture and Food Ministry (MAA) requested the Government to grant it an additional 1,740 billion lei, to cover irrigation expenditures, as the draught has affected over 40 percent of agricultural output so far, causing damages standing at over 4,000 billion lei, the ministry announced yesterday.

Of this sum, 1,100 billion lei will be used to cover the energy necessary for the functioning of pumping stations, while 640 billion lei will be aimed at covering funds needed by the National Company for Land Improvement for water distribution to the hydrant during the period July-September 2000. The ministry hopes that about 841,000 hectares will be irrigated this way.

High temperatures and the lack of rain almost destroyed over 1,600 hectares, the most affected counties being those situated in the north and centre of the country, as well as in Moldova. Iasi prefect Florin Vitan yesterday announced that he would ask the Government to declare the county a calamity-stricken area, since the largest part of crops has been compromised. As localities will be left without drinking water, the Army would be resorted to, to the end of transporting water by cisterns, he added. “I will submit a report to the Government on the situation of Iasi county, but I do not know to what extent affected persons will be compensated, since the draught has spread to the entire country,” Vitan said.

At the same time, Suceava Prefect’s office yesterday asked the Environment Ministry and MAA to agree with animals’ grazing in forests, since pastures are seriously affected by draught.