The administration of SA “Mina din Chisinau” (“Chisinau Mine”) said the mine is in danger because the protection poles are eroded by the water that accumulates in galleries and these could collapse together with a part of Rascani district under which the mine is situated. Mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca said that if the situation had been so serious, the Department of Emergencies would have sounded the alarm. The mayor commented on the information about the situation of the mine disseminated by the newspaper “Timpul de dimineata” (“Morning time”).

The Chisinau Mine, where calcareous stone has been extracted since the start of the 1970s, has faced the problem of underground water accumulations for a number of years. As this water wears away the protection poles, these and a part of the stratum of earth on which there is Rascani district could collapse.

Contacted by IPN, the mine’s director Sergiu Lungu said that a feasibility study for removing the underground water that is accumulating in the mine’s galleries was carried out in 2014. The works would cost about 40 million lei. According to the study, the water can be taken out by wells that can be dug on a plot owned by the Winemaking and Winegrowing College situated in Stauceni commune, but the institution’s administration is against. The removed water is to pour into the centralized water supply system of Chisinau municipality.

Sergiu Lungu said these poles will not yield today or tomorrow, but the situation worsens gradually and a tragedy could be avoided at much higher expenses than now. Similar problems were faced by the authorities of such cities as Odessa and Paris.

Asked by the journalists about the situation at the mine after a working meeting, Dorin Chirtoaca said a broader project is needed to change the mine’s purpose. “This mine should be conserved by different methods and could be even transformed into a tourist destination,” stated the mayor, noting that the danger is not so serious as those in charge of the Department of Emergencies do not sound the alarm.

Contacted by IPN, Liliana Puscasu, spokeswoman for the Civil Protection and Emergencies Service, said they know about the problems faced by the mine, but the responsibility in this case is borne by the local public authorities and the Ministry of Environment, which should find solutions to remove the water.