The Minister of Economy and Industry Bogdan Bogdanov and the Minister of Agriculture and Food Kiril Vatev, together with representatives of all responsible state institutions, identified urgent measures for Ogosta Dam repair. It was attended by People’s Representative Vanina Vecina, representatives of the State Consolidation Company (SCC), of “Irrigation Systems” EAD, of the State Agency for Metrological and Technical Supervision (DAMTN), “Montazhi” EAD, experts and engineers.
“Ogosta” (next to the town of Montana) is one of the largest artificial reservoirs in Northwestern Bulgaria and in the whole country in general. Last year there was a proposal to float a huge photovoltaic installation in its waters, which would have been an investment by the German company Profine Energy. The amount of the investment was also announced – over BGN 50 million. Politicians and fishermen’s organizations spoke out against this.
At the meeting in the Ministry of Economy today, everyone united around the need for urgent repair of the dam, so as to minimize the risk to the population of a possible overflow. A clear action plan was drawn up between the responsible state institutions. By the end of next week, one copy of the documentation for the repair will be transferred from the DCC to the Ministry of Agriculture and Food, which is the owner of the Ogosta Dam, and within a month, a public procurement under the Public Procurement Act for the selection of a contractor must be announced. A project and construction permit has been prepared, it became clear at the meeting.
“After an inspection, it was established that the permit for the construction of the Ogosta dam expires in April 2025. It is necessary to quickly move the document procedure between the institutions so that we have a clear plan for the repair of the dam,” said Economy Minister Bogdan Bogdanov.
“Over the years, the repair of the Ogosta dam has not been prioritized, and the money has been spent,” said Minister of Agriculture and Food Kiril Vatev. According to him, urgent actions are needed to reduce the risk of possible emergency situations.
The meeting also discussed the possibilities of providing a partial financial resource for the repair of the dam, and according to preliminary estimates, about BGN 10 million will be needed.
Emphasis during the meeting was also placed on determining what the dam will be used for. In this regard, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food has started a procedure for analysis and evaluation of the dam wall of the Ogosta Dam.
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