Clearing the River Tisza from an estimated 8,000 tons of waste accumulated during the spring floods will take at least four months, the director of the General Directorate of Water Management (OVF) told a press conference on Tuesday.
Floating communal and plant waste covers 17,000 square metres on the upstream side of the Kisköre dam, István Láng said. At its thickest, the accumulated waste measures over three metres, he added.
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This year’s pollution is about twice the amount of waste habitually collecting at the dam in the spring, Láng said. Clearing it will require the cooperation of water management experts, civil organisations and companies, he said. The OVF has expanded warehouse space in its winter port and employees work in 12-hour shifts to move the waste onto a 200-ton barge, he added.
Featured photo by Zsolt Czeglédy/MTI