OREANDA-NEWS. July 14, 2010. The Ukrainian government will intensively monitor the timing and quality of restoration works in the areas affected this year by floods. This was stated in the interview of the First Vice Prime Minister Andriy Klyuev.

According to him, the unprecedented huge amount of money (4.8 billion UAH), which was allocated to the Western regions of Ukraine to eliminate flooding in 2008 and to prevent the impact of floods in the future, virtually disappeared without any benefit. Andriy Klyuyev reminded that, for example, in the Chernivtsi region for 2 years none of the bridges has been put into operation. According to him, today the Government had to eliminate the effects of not only the current floods, but of the disaster occurred in July 2008. These works, including bridge mounting over the Prut River in the vicinity of settlements Marshintsy-Lunka, are scheduled for completion in the second quarter of next year.

According to First Vice Prime Minister, today it is important not only to eliminate the impact of recent floods, but also to create the most effective system to prevent the catastrophic consequences of natural disasters in the future. Andriy Klyuyev said that the Government within a month is to finalize a comprehensive program of flood control and anti-landslide activities in the Chernivtsi region for the 2010-2015 period.

He also said that on the example of this area we might see the consequences of mismanagement - the majority of waterworks, which should have to provide an opportunity to minimize the devastating impact of floods, are inoperable. Andriy Klyuyev reminded that, thanks to effective use of waterworks of the Dnieper cascade it was possible to minimize the effects of flooding this spring.

First Vice Prime Minister said, that on behalf of the Government the detailed inspection of the waterworks and the entire system of reservoirs and flood control systems, and structures, in all regions of Ukraine, where there is a danger of floods, has began, the responsible for their technical condition and the possibility of operational management in case of emergency will be determined. In addition, the deforestation will be put under strict inspection.

First Vice Prime Minister stated that currently the situation in the Chernivtsi region has been stabilized, the water is pumped out of all the houses in the flood-affected areas. However, he said, due to high groundwater levels there are 163 basements, 238 households, 208 wells and 109 agricultural lands flooded.

According to Andriy Klyuev more than 11 thousand meters of river channels and drainage canals have already been cleared of silt and debris, more than 4 kilometres of bypass channels have been dug; roads and households are cleared from debris. Works on the restoration of three damaged road bridges, 41 bridge damaged and two railway bridges continues.