Prime Minister Donald Tusk asked during a meeting of the crisis team how the rupture of the dam in the Czech city of Ostrava, close to the Polish border, could affect the situation in our country. The president of Wody Polskie, Joanna Kopczyńska, said that according to initial assessments, the rupture of the embankment on the right side “should not cause such destruction”, but detailed simulations are needed, which have not yet been developed.
A dam has burst in Ostrava, with water flowing towards the city and flooding it, local media report. The Czech city is located about 35 kilometres from the border with Poland. The burst occurred at the confluence of two large rivers, the Odra and the Opava.
The Dam Has Broken in the Czech Republic. What Does It Mean for Poland?
This matter was raised during the afternoon meeting of the crisis team in Wrocław, with the participation of, among others, the Prime Minister Donald TuskDeputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Head of Ministry of Interior and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak and experts.
– Is it possible at this point to make any simulations or predictions about the consequences this will have for Poland? – asked the head of government.
The floor was taken by the president of the State Water Management Authority Polish Waters, Joanna Kopczyńska.
– The simulation is not available at the moment, the information is precisely from the media at the moment. We know that the side embankment overflowed, the right one broke and the water will now enter the inter-embankment. In our first quick assessment – this is a better situation than if it broke on the other side. However, we are working on the simulation now, at the moment we are contacting the Czech services and arranging everything – she said.
As she continued, according to initial assessments, the rupture of the embankment on the right side “should not cause such destruction or such a problem”. – But we have to model it. At the moment, the water is entering the inter-embankment area, which means it is still outside Poland – she added.
Main image source: Maciej Kulczyński/PAP