"It's not a panacea yet, but it's a pill." Having received no help from the authorities, residents of flooded villages near Rostov began cleaning the riverbed themselves.
This is the second year of the farm Krasnokrymsky settlements under Rostov groundwater is flooding. The moisture in villagers' homes is causing appliances to burn, walls to deteriorate, and sewer lines to clog. Residents sure — The cause of the floods is uncontrolled development, which causes local river beds to become clogged and dry up.
District authorities promise to address the problem, but it will cost millions, the head of the local assembly of deputies told NeMoskva. Dzadur Tyzykhyan"Engineering calculations, design documentation... All of this takes time. They don't offer any emergency treatment."
Residents of the village Red Crimea Tired of waiting for help, they started working themselves.
— Behind the farm there is a pond where some of the water could drain, " says Tyzykhyan. "But the riverbed of the Sukhoi Chaltyr River, which flows into it, was overgrown with reeds and silted up, and it was littered with construction debris and soil. We [and a group of activists] selected several areas for clearing. Initially, we wanted to hire an excavator, but it wouldn't go there. So we decided to involve people—to finally drag them out of their warm beds.
According to the deputy, dozens of villagers responded to the WhatsApp call. Some brought shovels and rakes, others sandwiches and tea: "People were absolutely thrilled about it." People also chipped in to pay for a tractor driver's work—he helped clear the dam near the bridge, and the water "receded literally before our eyes."
Residents intend to continue cleaning the riverbed, and neighboring villages are adopting their experience. None of this eliminates the need for engineering surveys, Tykhyzyan notes: "But cleaning has been needed for a long time, and we're doing what we can."
"Yes, it's not a panacea yet, but it's a pill. It's important to me that people wake up and look around them, not through a phone screen.", the deputy told NeMoskva. "And so, they'll marry each other and share coffee, tea, and boots. Let them feel their importance and start to enjoy it."
Photo and video: NotMoscow Speaking