The Ministry of the Interior is organizing defenses on the Danube and the Lajta in an appropriate way - stated the Minister of the Interior Sándor Pintér, who also announced that: according to the forecasts, the water level of the Danube and the Lajta will reach a height similar to or higher than the flood of 2013, so the special protection is needed on two rivers.
Spreading scaremongering doesn't help defense, dams should be defended, not politicized - stressed Bence Rétvári, the parliamentary state secretary of the Ministry of the Interior, in a video message uploaded to his social media site on Sunday. He pointed out that there are experts from disaster management and water affairs on every line of defense who provide assistance.
He added that each mayor received a contact person from the disaster prevention and water department, if you have any professional questions or need any tools, you can get them through the contact persons.
Whether Péter Magyar or other politicians claim the opposite, they are making untrue claims, said the state secretary.
Bence Rétvári said that flood protection requires everyone, and also thanked the volunteers, including politicians, for their work. And he asked the politicians not to use this for politicking.
The Ministry of the Interior is organizing defenses on the Danube and the Lajta in an appropriate way - stated the Minister of the Interior Sándor Pintér, who also announced that: according to the forecasts, the water level of the Danube and the Lajta will reach a height similar to or higher than the flood of 2013, so the special protection is needed on two rivers.
The government has authorized the Ministry of the Interior (BM) to organize flood protection, he said, adding that they will prevent the water from breaking through the dams of the Danube and the Lajta.
As part of the defense, the National Directorate General for Disaster Prevention (OKF) and the National Directorate General for Water (OVF) started work the previous week.
The places where an extraordinary situation may arise from the rise of the water level have been designated, for example dams may have to be raised or the population may have to be relocated, said the minister.
"I am convinced that displacement will not occur" because we can squeeze the water between the appropriate defenses, he added.
The Minister of the Interior said that the European Union also supports defensive work through the Copernicus program, because the system shows the current water levels within the water catchment basin, and thanks to this it is possible to be better prepared.
Sándor Pintér emphasized that they are also organizationally prepared for effective work, the Hungarian Armed Forces are ready with about seventeen thousand men to provide an adequate background in defense, including vehicles and helicopters.
All members of the police, the penitentiary and the fire department are prepared to assist in the defense, he said.
The head of the ministry emphasized that social assistance may also be needed, just like in 2013. "We expect all Hungarian citizens to complete the task," he said, adding that the helpers should only leave when, and only where, the OKF and OVF request through the media.
"If they start without it, they will be more of a problem, we will show signs of disorganization and we don't want that under any circumstances," emphasized Sándor Pintér.
Speaking about defense, he said: it may be necessary to open temporary reservoirs, for which reservoirs have already been designated in the county of Győr-Moson-Sopron. If the water level requires it, they will be opened.
The Minister of the Interior asked those who use the temporary water reservoirs to remove their machines and devices as soon as possible, because they will not be able to provide the possibility of delivery in the future.
Sándor Pintér said: he trusts that the defenses will be built to a suitable standard and quickly in the settlements along the Danube and that everyone will be protected from having to leave their homes.
The head of the department also explained that the press conference was held at the Petz hospital in Győr because water intrusions are expected in the basement of the building in case of higher water levels.
"With the involvement of specialists and engineers, in the presence of water experts and based on the practical experience of the staff of the General Directorate of Disaster Prevention, we assigned the task of ensuring that water cannot enter the hospital under any circumstances and that the hospital can carry out its daily work," he said.
He added: in a disaster situation, it always means a lot of security if there is adequate medical support behind the backs of the employees and the population.
When Sándor Pintér was asked what he said to the fact that "Péter Magyar is on the dams with sandbags and shovels", he answered that everyone should do the work that can provide the greatest benefit to society. "I feel like that's what he's doing right now," he said.
He added: he asks all other politicians to do the same, but not to interfere in the organization and not to politicize, because "politics have their place in the parliament, defense on the banks of the Danube."
In the counties of Komárom-Esztergom and Győr-Moson-Sopron, I have ordered the deployment of more than 350 soldiers to help with defense work, said Minister of National Defense Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky.
In the settlements of Mosonmagyaróvár, Neszmély, Pilismarót and along the Lajta river, the soldiers help to protect the population, residential properties and material assets, as well as to strengthen the previously built defenses.
MTI
Cover photo: Minister of the Interior Sándor Pintér (b), Fidesz member of the National Assembly Kara Ákos (b2) and Mayor Gábor Major (b3) with disaster management leaders in Göny, near the flooded Danube on September 15, 2024.
MTI/Csaba Krizsán
