Donetsk, Jun 16 — DAN. The shallowing of the Kakhovka water reservoir which occurred as a result of dam collapse, might cause drought in the farmlands in the north of the Black Sea coastal area, Russian Environmental Movement Executive Director Elmurod Rasulmukhamedov told the Donetsk News Agency on Friday.
“There’s short-term damage caused by sudden flooding and the collapse of the sewage and water treatment systems as wastewater gets into the environment, ” Rasulmukhamedov said. “There are also long-term problems related to humidity, inundation, drought and possible soil degradation, as a large water body which supported regional farmland has been destroyed.”
The death of animals that did not escape the flood and the fish belongs to the first type of damage. “There’ll be a fish kill due to a lack of oxygen, and a series of fish kills in the Dnieper might be expected during the hot spell, he said.
Ukrainian forces shelled Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant facilities overnight to June 6 destroying dam gates which provoked uncontrolled water release. A number of settlements on both sides of the Dnieper in the Kherson region were flooded.*jk