At today’s meeting, the government granted the request of Olomouc governor Ladislav Oklešťek (ANO) to further extend the state of danger in the flood-affected areas of Jesenice and Šumperska. Minister of Agriculture Marek Výborný (KDU-ČSL) told journalists. The state of danger, which allows faster liquidation of flood damage, should be in effect in both mountain areas until December 12.
“The Minister of the Interior received a request to extend the state of danger in the municipalities with extended scope of Jeseník and Šumperk until 15:00 on December 12. Based on the current state of the territory, as known to the government and ministers, we have confirmed that there are reasons for its extension. The government also did so with its decision,” Výborný said.
Today, the government also approved the release of 560 million crowns from the budget reserve in the form of a subsidy for the Moravian-Silesian region for flood damage removal, Výborný said. The Olomouc Region has so far received 60 million and the Moravian-Silesian Region 80 million, he added. “Now a request for 560 million has arrived, the government has complied and in the next few days this amount will be transferred to the account of the Moravian-Silesian Region by decision of the Minister of Finance,” he said.
Further measures will be discussed on Friday by a working group coordinated by Finance Minister Zbyňek Stanjura (ODS). “We are dealing with other programs that we will list towards the restoration of the territory. I assume that we would approve other materials at the government next week,” said Výborný.
A state of danger is the lowest of the crisis states that can be declared in response to emergency situations. In doing so, the regional leadership acquires special powers, for example, the power to impose work obligations, to decide on work assistance or the possibility of providing material means for solving a crisis situation. More serious crisis situations are a state of emergency, a threat to the state and a state of war.
The state of danger enables, for example, faster and more efficient removal of flood damage, more flexible restoration of damaged infrastructure not only in the area of gas and electricity supply, but also of water and sewage systems. It will be easier to use the army and its equipment, clean up villages from flood waste and alluvium, and restore road and water management.
In the Olomouc Region, in addition to Jesenice, the floods also affected parts of Šumpers and Olomouc, however, they caused catastrophic damage in Jesenice. They affected a large strip around the river Bělé from Bělé pod Pradědem through Jeseník, Česká Ves, Mikulovice and Písečná, as well as the villages around the streams Vidnávka and Staříč. The floods damaged infrastructure including roads and bridges. The repair will require several billion crowns. The floods have so far claimed two lives in the region, and the search for two more people is still ongoing. According to Oklešťek, municipalities in Jeseník and Šumperk and energy companies have requested the extension of the state of danger.
Source: www.tyden.cz
