Lithuania turns to Belarus for help

Lithuania has made a request to Belarus due to the drought. It's about helping to restore the level of the Viliya (Neris) River, which has fallen sharply, Delfi informs. It flows both in Belarus and Lithuania.

Head of the Ministry of Environment of Lithuania Kęstutis Mažeika has appealed to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of Belarus. He informed the Belarusian side about the critical situation in Viliya (Neris) in Lithuania. According to the Minister, the decline in water level threatens ecosystems, flora and fauna of the river, not to mention the navigation in the two countries.

We hope that neighbors will take into account the situation when regulating the water level in Neris," said Mažeika, commenting on the appeal to the Belarusians. "They can send more water and thus help the aquatic flora and fauna". We are talking about opening the locks of the reservoir, built in our country at the source of the river. In Vilnius, they hope for a positive response from Minsk. In response, the Lithuanian side is ready to help the Belarusians develop the fish farming project.

At the same time, the Lithuanian Ministry asked if there had been any actions in Belarus during the dry season, which could have led to a decrease in the water level in Viliya (Neris). Lithuanian experts estimated that it is 41 centimeters lower than the average level in July and 73 cm lower than the annual average.

In the meantime, Lithuania predicts a high level of drought damage in agriculture.