Minister of State for Environmental Affairs Zoltán Illés held a joint press conference on Thursday with Government Spokeswoman Anna Nagy on the flood protection projects around Felsőzsolca.

Anna Nagy reminded those present that a year ago 1800 houses were flooded, of which 207 buildings subsequently collapsed. Thanks to the recently completed project and other works in progress, similar disasters can now be prevented in the future – she added.

Zoltán Illés reported on the fact that eighty of the two hundred collapsed houses have already been rebuilt and the Government has spent 7.3 billion Forints on flood prevention and protection in the Sajó, Bódva and Hernád valleys. Dredging of the riverbed has been completed at 60 locations over a distance of 20km, during which 400 thousand cubic metres of silt were successfully removed from the riverbeds. The dams in the vicinity of Felsőzsolca, Ónod and Nagycsécs are nearing completion. Construction of the emergency reservoir at Hidvégardó has also been completed, the function of which is to enable water to be channelled there at times of flood for later agricultural use.

The Minister of State announced that water experts are executing the projects to excellent standards and according to schedule, and this makes possible the protection of those settlements that were flooded last year. In order that the withdrawing water does not cause damage to other areas, the State Secretary ordered a ban on building construction on large river basins. As he put it, in the future neither henhouses nor space stations will be built on flood plains.

Zoltán Illés called a meeting of the Hungarian Directors of the four large supermarket chains affected to begin conciliatory talks on the project in which the companies must assume a 50 percent share and which would make possible the construction of a runoff system that would allow a secure route of escape for withdrawing floodwater.

Zoltán Illés also informed those present that measures similar to the flood protection works completed here were planned throughout the country, mainly through the employment of European resources.

(Press Office of the Ministry for Rural Development)