No significant flooding was observed in Augšdaugava Municipality this year; however, municipal officials promised to monitor the situation on the Daugava River at least until Easter in case of an unexpected rise in water levels. Four roads in Augšdaugava Municipality have been washed out this spring due to inadequate drainage systems, the local government told Latvian Radio on 26th March.
The thick layer of ice on the Daugava River and the heavy snow cover were the conditions that led to concerns about major flooding at the start of this spring.
However, nature has done its part and been kind to the areas most at risk of flooding, including Augšdaugava Municipality, said Valērijs Ļaksa, the municipality’s technical director.
“We were prepared. We prepared the equipment, all the materials, and the people; we issued warnings. It was much easier than in previous years. Currently, the water level in the Daugava is at the yellow warning level—there are still two meters to go, which is a lot. Of course, we still have a week to stay vigilant, I think, until Easter, because there have been instances when the water level has started to rise rapidly,” said Ļaksa.
At the moment, however, there are no signs indicating a possible rise in the water level of the Daugava, so the municipality is already assessing the consequences of the current minor flooding.
“A few roads, about four in total, were flooded due to the spring thaw. In some places, ditches weren’t dug; in others, culverts were blocked, resulting in water flowing over the road and washing them out a bit. It’s a technical issue that we’ll resolve in the near future,” said Ļaksa.
However, this situation points to a more serious problem that the Augšdaugava Municipality had to grapple with last summer, when a single night of heavy rain washed out 60 road sections totalling nearly 16 kilometres, including 10 damaged culverts. And that is the disorganisation of the drainage systems, said municipal council chairman Vitālijs Aizbalts (Latgale Party).
“Many floods and other incidents occur when drainage systems are not properly maintained, constructed, or managed. Last year’s rains showed us this—in many places, roads were washed out, drainage ditches overflowed and failed, and the drainage system didn’t work. It is not possible to fix this with the funds available to the municipality or the state; European Union funds would be necessary,” Aizbalts acknowledged.
Stanislavs Šķesters, head of the Latgale Region Land Improvement Division of the Ministry of Agriculture’s Real Estate Department, highlighted that improving the land improvement system can significantly mitigate the risks of road washouts.
“We need funds so we can manage this water flow. It’s like blood circulation. As soon as it gets blocked, a clot forms. These are the problems. The water level rises, and at the same time, it creates these flooded areas, which then become waterlogged, and it takes much more time to clean all of this up. We already maintain only state-level drainage ditches. In the Latgale region, that amounts to approximately 4,300 kilometres. The systems are already 70 years old; they’re clogged up. We maintain these drainage channels to the extent that the state provides funding. Unfortunately, we only get 10 euros per kilometre per year for such maintenance work in the region. What can you do with that kind of money? We handle urgent matters – emergencies that need to be addressed immediately. But that doesn’t solve the overall system,” said Šķesters.
The problem must be addressed at the national level, involving all stakeholders in the overall reorganisation of the drainage system, according to Šķesters.
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