The tourist port and the commercial port of Corabia are blocked due to the low Danube levels, said the town's public administrator, Daniel Albu.

He told AGERPRES on Tuesday that neither tourist boats nor the Corabia City Hall vessel can operate, as for dozens of metres from the shore outward there is no water left, but only a sand beach.

'We are seeing the lowest water level since 1985, and boats can no longer reach either of Corabia's two ports - the tourist port or the commercial port, which is usually used for grain transport. Both are practically blocked. A sand beach has formed,s tretching 20 - 30 metres from the shore, maybe more, with numerous sand islands. The City Hall's tourist boat can no longer be used, nor can other tourist vessels. Where the water has retreated and sand beaches appeared, you can now ride a bicycle or an ATV,' Albu said.

He stressed that the commercial port's shutdown has economic impact, as five grain silos operate in the area and river transport allowed much larger loads than trucks.



'Loading grain into barges is completely blocked at all silos in the commercial port area. Grain from the five silos now leaves by truck - obviously more expensive than river transport,' he noted.

Albu added that the Giurgiu Danube Ports Administration Giurgiu has a rehabilitation project underway for the commercial port, including dredging the entire port basin, but work has not yet started. Maintenance of the navigation channel is the responsibility of the Galati Lower Danube River Administration.


According to the National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management, the Danube's flow rate at Bazias is expected to drop slightly to 1,350 cubic metres per second, below the historic low of 1,400 cubic metres per second recorded in 1985. The August multiannual average is 3,900 cubic metres per second. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Cristina Matei; EN - writing by: Simona Klodnischi)

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