Moldova needs investments of €30 million to protect the eastern districts from hail. Besides infrastructure, money is needed to pay the personnel, the director of the Special Service for Active Influences on Hydrometeorological Processes Ion Garaba said in a news conference, IPN reports.
According to Ion Garaba, the eastern districts of Rybnitsa, Camenca, Criuleni and Dubasari are not protected against hail owing to a historical problem. During the Soviet period, the route of the military planes went through the eastern area. As the rockets pose a threat to the aircraft, no antihail units were set up in the eastern region at that time. Currently, such a unit costs €5-6 million.
Ion Garaba also said that though the eastern area is not affected by hail, antihail units must exist and money should be allocated for the purpose. Currently, the Antihail Service is carrying out works to ensure the protection of areas from hail on about 50% of the country’s territory.
The Service’s director also said that the Codrii Forest and the central districts are the most affected. “There is a kind of typical atmospheric instability that massively affects the intensity of the hail processes. The area from Chisinau-Nisporeni to Rascani-Glodeni is the most exposed to the risk of hail,” he stated.
As many as 6,800 hectares of the protected areas and 19,500 hectares of the unprotected areas were affected by hail last year. The protected areas were struck owing to the insufficient number of rockets and the restrictions on launching rockets towards settlements or in the state border area.
In Moldova there are 12 antihail units that protect 2 million hectares from hail.
