More than 260,000 people across the country are affected by water supply disruptions. The water shortage has affected 16 towns and 283 villages, with the crisis being most severe in the districts of Pleven, Blagoevgrad, Targovishte, Veliko Tarnovo, Lovech, Kyustendil and Pernik.

Yesterday, during an extraordinary session, MPs of the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Water decided that within two weeks a National Water Board will be established to coordinate institutional efforts to overcome the crisis.

Among the urgent measures to address the water shortage are: cleaning water sources and reservoirs, assessing water quality, prioritizing funding for drinking water projects, inspections against unauthorized use of drinking water, securing funding from the state budget and the Bulgarian Development Bank, etc.

Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov

Photo: BTA