2024-10-31 21:10 update: 2024-11-04, 20:01
Photo PAP/Marcin Kucharzewski
President of the southwestern Polish city of Jelenia Gora, hit by devastating flooding in September, has accused the previous Law and Justice (PiS) government of failure to implement flood protection measures in the city and neighbouring area.
Jerzy Luzniak has submitted to the District Prosecutor's Office in Jelenia Gora a notification of a possible crime by the PiS government and the state-run Wody Polskie (Polish Waters) agency that oversees all natural water resources, the spokesman for the Jelenia Gora city hall, Marcin Rylko, told PAP on Thursday.
In the notification, Luzniak accused then prime minister and ministers responsible for water management of failing to fulfil the obligations specified in the government's 'Flood Risk Management Plan for the Odra River Basin Area' of 18 October 2016 in the area of Jelenia Gora and the Karkonosze mountains region.
The notification, which covers the period from December 2016 to December 2021, also accuses of negligence persons in charge of the National Council of Water Management, the Regional Water Management Authority in southwestern Wroclaw and the State Water Management Authority Wody Polskie.
According to Luzniak, the renovations specified in the flood risk management plan were never carried out, including the reconstruction of the regulatory structure of the Kamienna River in Jelenia Gora. None of the planned five retention reservoirs was ever built.
"Investments to protect residents and local government property have not even been started. Even though the area of the Jelenia Gora Valley was classified in the government plan as an area at high risk of flooding ..., no actions were taken to reduce this risk, not to mention to ensure safety," the notification read.
Luzniak also said that the damage to city infrastructure caused by the September flooding was initially estimated at PLN 750 million (EUR 172 mln). "Damage to private property will probably exceed this amount," he added. (PAP)
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