For more than six years, ecologists have been resisting oligarchic clans in agriculture, who want to obtain the legalization of irrigation from underground. Recently, however, pressure was resumed from Mr. Igor Dodon, the President of the Republic of Moldova, and interest groups in the field of agriculture, regarding modification of the normative framework for the purpose of using the strategic underground drinking water reserves for irrigation.
"Through such decisions, the de facto Head of State neglects the provisions of the normative framework and the opinion of scientific institutions and, following his irresponsible and populist statements in front of farmers, forces the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment to give positive approvals to an adventure that endangers the ecological security of the Republic of Moldova", as presented in a statement signed by 30 non-governmental organizations, members of the National Platform of the Eastern Partnership Civil Society Forum.
Through the statement addressed to the Parliament, the Government, the EU Ambassador in Moldova and the Ministry of the Environment, the ecologists demand:
- the research of the underground water reserves of the Republic of Moldova and the development of a complex scientific study that would guarantee, in the medium and long term, the ecological security of the Republic of Moldova;
- declaring a moratorium on the subject of irrigation with underground water until the completion of the complex scientific study;
- conservation and use of strategic underground water reserves for drinking purposes only;
- ecological rehabilitation of small rivers and water basins and use of surface water for irrigation purposes;
- supporting good agricultural practices and farmers applying sustainable cultivation measures (climate-resistant varieties, setting up rainwater catchment basins, etc.).
The signatories consider a crime at the national and regional level against the environment, natural ecosystems, population health and ecological security, the "legislation" of access to strategic drinking water resources by some greedy millionaires, who are interested in private profit and not the public good. Inevitably, irrigation with underground water will lead to soil degradation and will deprive localities in the republic of drinking water, which will lead to a human catastrophe.
Just one day after the call of civil society not to allow the amendment of the legislation to admit irrigation from underground, a special commission was established in the Parliament to draw up a National Agricultural Land Irrigation Program. The author of the initiative, the independent deputy, Alexandr Oleinic, claims that the stake of the program is the use of water from the Prut and Dniester rivers for irrigation. But, based on the Declaration of environmentalists from the Eastern Partnership, some deputies questioned the intentions. For example, the PAS deputy, Radu Marian, requested that specialists be involved in the development of the Program because there are concerns regarding irrigation with underground water. During the debates of the legislative initiative, deputy Iurie Reniță asked the author of the initiative directly if the national program foresees the use of underground water, or, in this case, he would be against this project. Democrat Nicolae Ciubuc, although he drew attention to the limited water resources of the Republic of Moldova, said that he would not be so categorical regarding the use of underground water. The follower of this method that endangers national security, Nicolae Ciubuc, became vice-president of the commission that will develop the above-mentioned Program. The independent deputy Alexandr Oleinic was also elected president of the Commission, and secretary – Vladimir Bolea, Vice-President of the Agriculture and Food Industry Commission. The commission, made up of 7 members, jointly with the specialists of the Ministry of Agriculture, Regional Development and Environment, the Ministry of Finance, representatives of specialized associations in agriculture, national and international experts, the academic environment, other state institutions will have to elaborate for 5 months and presents to the Parliament for approval the project of the National Program for the irrigation of agricultural lands.
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