After one droughty year that has compromised 40% of crops, we are getting ready for an even worse one. Irrigation cannot completely solve our problem: we no longer hold many sprinklers and dams no longer hold much water.
The only tiny hope comes from the new Agriculture minister Ilie Sarbu, who does not believe in predictions.
The last three months propelled us to the first place in a sad European top – we had the scarcest rainfalls.
As shown by the map of the United States Department of Agriculture, in the last three months our country only got a maximum of 25 litres/square metre. The three months of autumn should have gathered at least 600 litres/square metre in order to offset the effects of an extremely dry summer.
“If it does not rain, we will be facing a dramatic water crisis starting with March. Consumption shall have to be rationalised in many cities across Romania, while the energetic crisis shall be just as dramatic,” said Petre Marinescu, manager of Regia Apele Romane (Romanian Waters Regie).
Because of the drought, there are increasingly many towns where water consumption has been rationalised. The most dramatic situation has been registered in Valea Jiului.
In Anina, household water is available only two hours a day. The rivers’ flow capacity is five times lower as compared to the same period of last year. Big rivers look like springs, while more and more wells shall go dry, Marinescu added.
The latest map of humidity reserves shows that the drought is still present in winter nationwide, Ion Sandu, manager of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (INMH), told Ziarul Financiar.
“Even if it snows shortly, the snow will not be able to solve the lack of humidity in the soil. For this to happen, we need a large quantity of precipitation. As far as I am concerned, I am rather pessimistic. It is almost impossible for next year not to bring drought,” Sandu maintained.
The only solution for eliminating the effects of the drought is the reconstruction of the irrigation system starting this spring, but this is rather difficult, as the dams are almost empty, INMH manager argued.
The filling level of the dams is on the decrease, as on December 27, 2000, the system average was 20.24% as compared to 55%, the normal percentage for this time of year, Hidroelectrica marketing manager Nicolae Paunescu told Ziarul Financiar.
The lowest filling levels were posted by Oasa dam, on Sebes, with 0.40% as compared to 92.47% in December 1998 and at Fantanele – Somesul Cald, with 1.59% as compared to 83.31% two years ago.
Paunescu says that the negative effects of the drought, which he characterised as the “worst drought of the century,” will only be overcome in about three years of normal precipitation.
What authorities have to say
“Before taking any measures, I must see what the meteorologists are talking about. As soon as I understand their message, I will act as such,” Agriculture minister Ilie Sarbu maintained.
He says that, especially in the period of government changes, many institutes release various prognoses, just to justify their activity.
“If we do see that we shall be facing drought, we will take measures in order to preserve the water reserves and will launch an investment process in order to repair and update the irrigation system,” Ilie Sarbu argues.
According to statistics presented this summer by the Agriculture Ministry, the irrigation system was halved due to thefts, going down to 1.5 million hectares this year, as compared to three million hectares in 1990.
The drought registered this summer caused damages estimated at almost 10,000 billion lei, affecting more than 40% of agricultural output.