PM Plenkovic said that investments should be made in flood prevention in the whole of Karlovac County because it had been flooded many times in the last few years. He added that such investments should be declared strategic projects.
About 200 privately-owned houses have been flooded in Ogulin, situated about 100 kilometres southwest of Zagreb. Members of the Mountain Search and Rescue Service, the National Protection and Rescue Directorate, the Red Cross, firefighters and police were on site, and 50 army servicemen with an amphibious vehicle and other necessary equipment have also been deployed to help local residents.
A meeting of the Civil Protection Committee and town officials was held and was attended by Prime Minister Plenkovic, Defence Minister Damir Krsticevic, Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic and Environment Minister Tomislav Coric.
The chairman of the Karlovac County Assembly, Ivan Vucic, said that floods had become frequent in the Ogulin area in the last 20 years and that the largest one occurred in 1999 causing 35 million kuna in damage. He said that the construction of a retention basin at Hreljin would cost about 30 million kuna and that such investment would definitely be worthwhile.
Text: Hina