Toughest situation on Sava River,in Sabac,Sremska Mitrovica

BELGRADE - The most difficult situation is on the Sava River, primarily in Sremska Mitrovica and Sabac, where water levels are far above the previous record of 5.9 m, and where the situation will remain critical for at least seven days, Director of the Srbijavode public company Goran Puzovic said on Monday.

In the night between Sunday and Monday, two critical situations occurred along the sandbag barrier near Sabac where major leaks appeared that were closed with the help of people and equipment, Puzovic said in a statement to Tanjug.

"The water levels are slightly dropping. The water levels are currently 60 centimeters higher than the previous record ones on the Sava River near Sabac," Puzovic said, noting as a serious drawback that sandbags take in water as a sponge, causing the defense barrier to become unstable.

That is why the base of the sandbag barriers is being strengthened to ensure that it does not yield to pressure, he said.

Sremska Mitrovica is being defended in the same way as Sabac and these measures are being carried out by the public water management company Vode Vojvodine that is facing yet another problem as the river has broken its bank in Croatia and came from the back.

When it comes to Belgrade, Puzovic noted that the public company Beograd Vode and all city services are putting in place all defense measures.

In the next ten days, all services will have to be mobilized as Serbia needs all available resources, people and machinery, Puzovic said.

Photo Tanjug, O. Toskic