Head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Military Administration Oleksandr Hanzha reported active work on connecting the city of Marhanets and surrounding settlements to a temporary alternative source of water supply, where there has been no water for several days due to an accident.
"Around-the-clock work is underway to connect Marhanets and surrounding communities to an alternative water supply source. I checked how the work is progressing at the site. Currently, there are seven teams of welders from Dnipro, Kryvyi Rih, Kamianske, and Zaporizhia there. They are provided with materials and equipment, with two dozen units of machinery operating. All preparatory construction work has already been completed, and installation has started," Hanzha wrote on Telegram on Friday.
According to him, work is underway to lay a section of a new pipeline, which will be a temporary solution "that will allow restoring centralized service as quickly as possible."
At the same time, repair of pumping equipment continues on the main water pipeline, which is on the balance sheet of the Regional Office of Water Resources of the State Agency of Water Resources. "It was precisely because it failed that residents were left without water. We are providing the state institution with all necessary assistance," Hanzha reported.
Later, he reported that water would reach the communities "within the next 24 hours."
According to the head of the regional administration, over 180 tonnes of drinking water have already been distributed to residents of Marhanets and neighboring communities to date. "I instructed to further increase the volumes of water handed over to people. I set the task for law enforcement officers to step up patrolling near water distribution points and prevent crowds of people from gathering. The enemy treacherously attacks places where civilians gather; safety is an absolute priority," wrote Hanzha.
As reported, there has been no drinking water supply in Marhanets and surrounding communities for several days. As Prime Minister of Ukraine Serhiy Koretsky reported, this is the result of an accident on the main water pipeline, as well as an incomplete and delayed response by responsible officials. He instructed that urgent measures be taken to accelerate equipment repairs on the main water pipeline and announced "tough conclusions" in the near future.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced his intention to dismiss the responsible official due to an improper response to the water supply problem in Marhanets and other cities of Dnipropetrovsk region. "There was a shameful situation due to the lack of water there and a very slow response at the regional level – in the departments responsible for water supply," he said, expressing hope that regional and local authorities would react more promptly to the needs of residents.
