The South Moravian Greens propose to demolish some dams

Brno - The South Moravian Greens reject the construction of new reservoirs and even propose demolishing some existing ones. According to them, many are unnecessary. In the South Moravian Region, for example, there is the waterwork Nové Mlýny or the Znojmo reservoir, said regional representative for the Green Party Mojmír Vlašín to reporters today. The party demands that the list of water reservoirs proposed for demolition or removal be included in the upcoming Morava River Basin Plan. The management of the Povodí Moravy company labeled the Greens' proposal as nonsense.
The Greens have strongly opposed the Morava River Basin Plan published by the Ministry of Agriculture. It includes the reservation of land for 19 new water reservoirs in the region. However, according to the Greens, even the current reservoirs no longer serve the purpose for which they were built. They were originally intended to serve as a water supply, but their consumption has decreased in recent years, according to the Greens. They also do not function as flood protection, the Greens claim. "We have more reservoirs than we need; it’s time to think about which ones need to be demolished." said Vlašín.
According to the director of Povodí Moravy Pavel Mylbachr, demolishing reservoirs is out of the question. "That's like something out of science fiction,” he noted. Nové Mlýny, according to him, saved Břeclav during the last floods and significantly helped reduce the impacts in neighboring Austria. The Znojmo reservoir is also a significant source of drinking water, he added. Reserving land for water accumulation is essential in case the country faces extreme drought. "However, decisions on potential use would only be made by the children of our children,” Mylbachr claims.
The reservation of land for reservoirs has raised significant concerns among the residents of the affected municipalities. If the land is protected for a future reservoir, nothing can be built there, stated Zdena Dohnálková, a representative of the Green Party in Tišnov. "It’s devastating for us; municipalities will not develop further and in a few decades will be suitable for nothing other than flooding,” she believes. Therefore, the municipalities in the Tišnov area organized a petition called Stop the Reservoir, which has been signed by over 1,000 people.
A number of comments on the proposed plan have also been submitted by environmental organizations. The Greens have urged municipalities to take an interest in the plan, as they believe this is their last chance to express their opinions on it.