Environment Minister expected to report to Parliament amid Dniester River pollution

Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder is expected in Parliament to provide explanations regarding the pollution of the Dniester River. The proposal was approved with 93 votes.

Details on the exact date of the hearing will be announced later by the secretariat of the parliament.

At the start of the plenary session, Speaker Igor Grosu mentioned that residents of Bălți, Soroca, Sângerei and Florești were affected by interruptions in water supply as a result of the pollution of the Dniester River caused by attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure.

The responsible institutions intervened promptly and worked continuously to manage the situation, and the reconnection of consumers began gradually as of last night. The Parliament of the Republic of Moldova expresses its gratitude to all teams involved – rescuers, specialists, authorities and external partners, including those from Romania, for the support provided.

"People worked day and night, and residents in the north have been gradually reconnected since last night. I thank the rescuers, officers, environmental specialists, businesspeople, authorities, and our friends in Romania who have offered us help. Also last night, the leaders of the 27 EU member states adopted the conclusions of the European Council, mentioning the Nistru River and firmly condemning Russia’s attacks against Ukraine’s civilian infrastructure, which have contaminated the main source of drinking water for the Republic of Moldova. The European Union is ready to provide assistance to mitigate the environmental impacts," underlined Grosu.

The Dniester River was polluted following an attack on the Novodnistrovsk hydropower plant in Ukraine, which led to leaks of petroleum substances into the river.