Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2026 All Rights Reserved

Flash drought hits Svoge and nearby villages

State of emergency declared as government provides 99 thousand litres of drinking water

Photo: EPA/BGNES - archive / Photo: ЕПА/БГНЕС

The state has provided the population of the town of Svoge, Western Bulgaria, and nearby villages with 99 thousand litres of drinking water, said Head of Fire Safety and Civil Protection Chief Directorate Nikolay Nikolov.

A state of disaster has been declared on Monday after the sudden drying up of a karst spring tributary of the Iskretska River - the only water source in the region.

The drought has affected over 12 thousand people. The state is looking for options to divert water to the Iskretska River so that there is a lasting solution to the problem. In order to avoid an environmental disaster, 40 tons of fish from the fish ponds in the area will have to be disposed of.

"The river ends abruptly. It sinks into the ground to reemerge a few dozen kilometres down in the village of Iskrets. This is not the first time this has happened! In the late 1970s there was a similar incident. According to eyewitnesses, it took 48 to 72 hours for the river to flow back to normal," says Nikolov.




Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Delyan Peevski

''DPS – New Beginning'' urges that local taxes remain unchanged in 2026

“I call on all representatives of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms in local government — mayors and municipal councilors — to ensure security and predictability for the people and to take the necessary steps to keep all local taxes and fees..

published on 11/25/25 10:02 AM

Bulgaria rises in global digital quality of life ranking

Bulgaria has climbed to 11th place in this year’s Digital Quality of Life 2025 (DQL) index published by Surfshark, up from 18th last year, BTA reported. The index evaluates countries’ digital well-being across five dimensions: fixed broadband..

published on 11/25/25 9:45 AM
Todor Chobanov

Bulgaria expects the return of over 2,700 antiques from abroad

Around 90% of the antiques seized during an international operation targeting a cultural property trafficking network will be returned to Bulgaria, Deputy Minister of Culture Todor Chobanov told “Nova TV”.   “This is an unprecedented operation in..

published on 11/25/25 9:22 AM