The construction of the Pyaschanik pumping station will be completed by 2027-Agro Plovdiv – 2024-11-18 09:34:00

“Irrigation Systems” will apply at the beginning of next year with a project for the rehabilitation of the main irrigation canal “Lisichovo-Stryama”. It is expected to be completed in early 2026.

Snezhina Dineva, executive director of “Irrigation Systems” EAD, in front of Agro Plovdiv

Mrs. Dineva, how did the crisis with the irrigation of agricultural lands in the Plovdiv region come about? Why did “Irrigation Systems” allow Pyasachnik dam to run out of water when the state company could have rebuilt the pumping station and solved the problem of farmers in the area?

“Piasčnik” dam has had low volumes of irrigation water for 10 years, and therefore alternative irrigation was introduced through the “Lisichovo-Stryama” irrigation channel. This is how we managed to provide water to farmers during the past irrigation season. We had a meeting with the farmers, before that they were informed that the water would be supplied according to a schedule previously agreed with them. We were able to satisfy all the requests, thanks to the good organization we created. Due to the rehabilitation of the “Aleko flow” irrigation system, we also had an increase in the irrigated areas. We have increased the irrigated areas by 14,000 decares only for the area of ​​the “Maritsa” branch along the “Aleko stream”. The pumping station of the “Pyaschanik” dam, which was established back in 1981. together with the construction of the reservoir (since it has a very small catchment of its own), was intended only to fill the dam. The water was enough to irrigate 250,000 acres.

There were three pumps that transferred water to “Sandstone”.

Since 1998, a large excess of electricity has been reported in the pumping station, and due to an accident of one of the electric motors of the pumps and the reduced irrigated areas at that time – only 25,000 decares, it has been judged that it is unprofitable to restore the pumping station. That’s how it was decided to scrap it. In later years, several attempts were made at the insistence of the Maritza branch to award projects for the restoration of the pumping station. However, this did not happen because the water volumes in the dam were sufficient for those acres that were irrigated.

However, the drought this year has been devastating and the rebuilding of the pumping station is now critically needed. When will this happen?

We are entering the third, I hope not the fourth, dry year. We saw that the restoration of the pumping station was necessary. We have a decision of the Board of Directors to assign the preparation of a technical assignment for the restoration of the pumping station at “Pyasachnik”. It is currently being prepared by the Technical University – Sofia. After it is presented, we will immediately launch a public procurement for the selection of a contractor for the development of a technical project for the restoration activities of the pumping station. This will certainly not happen in the next irrigation season. I hope it will be restored as soon as possible if all goes well. Once the technical design is drawn up, there must be a building permit. I see the implementation for the 2026 or 2027 irrigation season at the earliest.

Until then?

Until then, we must have the alternative water sources, in this case the “Belmeken” dam for this “Lisichovo-Stryama” irrigation system. I am hoping for suitable weather to form the snow feeding of the watersheds and the autumn-winter and spring flood, which forms the main part of the inflow to the dams, i.e. more than 80%. The Ministry of Environment and Water (MoEW) must comply with Article 50 para. 4 items 1-5 of the Water Act. It clearly describes how water withdrawal is permitted. Priority is given to requests for drinking and domestic water, then for treatment and prevention, thirdly for agricultural purposes, i.e. for irrigation, and lastly industrial purposes and hydropower. That’s why

I hope that the MoEW will provide for the necessary water tables for irrigation that we have requested

for watering in the 2025 season. We will need them as an alternative to the “Pyasachnik” dam in case it does not reach the water levels needed for irrigation from there. This is how we do our best so that we don’t have to exclude irrigated areas in the next season. We will again put in place a timetable agreed with farmers to deliver irrigation water to them.

This summer, producers from Saedinenie municipality complained that they once used irrigation water from a private and municipal dam, but did not have any more irrigation, because “Irrigation Systems” did not restore the two small dams to the water used. Will you change this next irrigation season?

I don’t know about the case, but basically we supply water to farmers through our hydromelioration system.

We are not obligated to return water to municipal dams.

Waterings are tailored to the available water volumes in our dams. We have delivered water on schedule to all those who have applied for irrigation and with very strict water control, as this year we had limited water volumes given the state of the Piasčnik dam in the area. Despite everything, we left enough water in the dam so as not to disturb the ecological balance. I think the colleagues from the “Maritsa” branch did a flawless job.

But farmers have sent us up-to-date photos from “Pyasachnik”, which show that the water is at the bottom.

“Sandstone” was never high water in time. The maximum volume it reached was 50-54 million cubic meters against the background of 250 million, which is its volume. It was never full. Always after an irrigation season, the dam is left at these volumes.

What do the weather forecasts show for this winter? Will there be more rain?

We use long-term weather forecasts. The 2024-2025 winter precipitation data is good, but overall by 2050, the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology expects temperatures to rise between 3 and 6 degrees on average. This means that dry spells will be more and more common and we need to be ready for this before the start of the irrigation year.

How do you prepare?

This year, we carried out five rehabilitations from all 24 sites that we implement under measure 4.3. The remaining 19 will be completed by the month of April 2025, that is, before the start of the next irrigation season.

The Ministry of Agriculture announced that at the beginning of next year, an intervention for the modernization of irrigation facilities (with a budget of BGN 195.5 million) will be opened, under which “Irrigation Systems” will be the beneficiary. How many projects will you apply with?

As of now

we are preparing 41 sites that will be subject to financing under the Strategic Plan.

I hope that their implementation will start after the end of the irrigation season in 2025. There, rehabilitation of a larger part of the “Lisichovo-Stryama” irrigation system, which supplies water along all the agricultural producers who irrigate from the “Pyaschanik” dam, is planned. The rehabilitation of this main irrigation canal will result in potential water savings. At the same time, we will be able to irrigate more areas. It is very important what we can deliver and what the farmers will demand as water supply. About 400 thousand acres will be restored as irrigated areas after the implementation of these 41 sites. The restoration of irrigated areas under measure 4.3 of the RDP, together with the expected benefits of the rehabilitation of the future 41 projects under the intervention of the Strategic Plan, will increase the irrigated areas by 650,000 decares.

We have separately asked the state for funding, and if it is granted to us for rehabilitation, we will be able to carry out our program over the next four years, which was originally under the Development Recovery Plan. If we can get these funds, we will supply irrigation water to 2 million more acres.

How much will it cost to restore the pumping station at the Pyaschnik Dam?

By the end of the year, we expect the terms of reference for it to be ready. After that, we will prepare a public order for the award of a technical project for the restoration activities of the pumping station. Once this project is done, we will have clarity on how much it will cost to rebuild the pump station. We have hired the best experts in the country from universities to develop the assignment.

Farmers say there is a huge difference between the price of water paid by rice farmers and that for irrigating other crops. The difference is 55 times. Do you envisage restoring some fairness in payments?

This is because rice farmers use a huge amount of water. One third of the area irrigated by Irrigation Systems is rice, and we irrigate about 300,000 acres.

The price of water for rice is like this, since one acre uses 2400 cubic meters of water.

Given the compacted areas of rice and the fact that in their cells water passes from one to another, a large part of rice producers use the same water. The water rate for other crops is less, for corn, for example, it is five times less. Our methodology is cost-oriented. Our price is socially acceptable, it has not been increased in the last two years and we do not plan to increase it next year either. In aid of farmers, 80% of the irrigation costs of farmers have been reimbursed in the last two years, thanks to Ukrainian aid. By the end of the year

farmers will receive support for irrigation water,

as the data has already been submitted to the Agriculture Fund. And since this is a temporary framework, a Council on Hydro Improvements and Irrigated Agriculture is coming soon in the Ministry of Agriculture. In this regard, we have a long-term vision for solving the problem, and that is for agricultural irrigation to become an activity of general economic interest and to be largely subsidized by the state, as is the activity of protecting the harmful effects of water. Thus, “Irrigation Systems” will be able to permanently lower the price of water for all farmers, regardless of the crop they grow.

Could you say something more about these 41 projects that you are preparing for next year under the intervention of the Strategic Plan. How many of them are for Plovdiv region and southern Bulgaria?

Five sites are in Plovdiv region and Pazardzhik region. The most important of them is the main irrigation canal “Lisichovo-Stryama”. When it is actually restored, we will be able to supply more water from the Piasčnik dam or from the Belmeken dam. I expect implementation to begin in October or November 2025. If everything goes as we have planned, I hope that the Lisichovo-Stryama main irrigation canal will be completed before the 2026 irrigation season.