The need for this decision arose after experts warned of a high risk of several dams on the Ikel River failing. If they were to fail, dozens of settlements could be at risk of widespread flooding.
The government plans to allocate 20,000 sandbags from state reserves to reinforce the dams, along with an excavator, a mini-excavator, and two high-capacity motor pumps capable of pumping up to 1,200 cubic meters of water per hour. The equipment will be used to reinforce hydraulic structures, construct drainage channels, and facilitate the controlled release of water from reservoirs.
According to the explanatory note accompanying the draft resolution, the most critical situation has developed on the Ikel River. In the village of Mertinești, 18 properties were flooded, including seven residential buildings. Authorities also warned that if one of the dams were to fail, other settlements located downstream could also be at risk.
One of the most dangerous scenarios was considered to be the situation in the Bularda–Hîrbovăț section, where seven reservoirs were filled to capacity. According to experts’ estimates, a cascade of dam breaches could have led to the release of more than 1.5 million cubic meters of water, which would have reached downstream settlements in just 7–12 hours.
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