Climate change is increasingly felt in the south of Poland. In August it took 20 days without precipitation to dry the river and creeks completely in the municipality of Żegocin. “I don’t remember always moving out of water before,” says Wójt Wojciech Wrona. With the aid of the future soldiers of the 11th Małopolska Territorial Defence Brigade, who provided residents with a tanker with water.
Illustration picture
At the end of August, the hydrological situation became dramatic in the municipality of Żegocin (Małopolskie province). No rainfall in the second half of the period made local streams completely dry. – Forecasts did not give hope of rain, and pumps in our shots began to stop. Workers with 40 years of experience have never witnessed specified a situation. For 74 years, only six times August was specified a dry period – says Wojciech Wrona, the mayor of Żegocina.
Local government authorities were forced to launch a municipal crisis management team, which immediately requested assistance from the Provincial Centre for Crisis Management in Krakow. In consequence to the call of local government, soldiers were sent to take action 11 The Malopolska Territorial Defence Brigade.– If it were not for WOT's help, the pumps would most likely be destroyed," adds Wojciech Wrona.
Within 2 days, the territorials supplied water to the inhabitants of divided and Łąkta Górna. “On the last weekend of August, we acted nonstop,” says Colonel Marcin Siudziński, commander of 11 MBOT. – Our cisterns ran between designated hydrants and the water treatment station in advanced Ląkta and Żagocin. The cooperation was exemplary and fast.
The water supplied by the territories was taken from neighbouring municipalities, but in specified a way as not to overburden the resources of 1 locality. As Colonel Siudziński emphasizes, decisions on the place of water extraction were made after careful analysis of the situation at a given moment. – erstwhile our drivers were on the road, they already knew where they would choice up the water and who would yet receive it from them. It was a coordinated effort on the line: municipality – voivode – WOT.
Just a telephone call.
The action in Bogocin one more time showed that in crisis situations, military and self-government can operate efficiently. Under the Defence of the Motherland Act, territorial defence troops are liable for crisis management operations. Cooperation begins erstwhile the mayor of the municipality, mayor or politician submits an appropriate application to the voivods, in this case Małopolski. The voivode contacts the brigade commander and determines whether he can help. The proposal then goes on to the Minister of National Defence and to the WOT Command. With specified a procedure, it took respective hours for the territorialists to be ready to act in Żagocin.
11 MBOT soldiers supply water to residents of the municipality of Żagocin
– We treat each specified task as an operation in the framework of crisis management – explains Colonel Siudziński. “At all the trainings we organize together with the voivode, we emphasize the function of WOT in the crisis management system, but we besides teach and show how this assistance can be obtained. If the voivode calls and informs us of the request for support, we immediately measure whether we can direct soldiers and equipment there at any time," the officer adds.
Safe and fast
The 11 MBOT tankers are inactive full ready to use. The military emphasizes that water supply is not only logistics but besides wellness responsibility. The drivers received specialized training from the operation of barrel trucks, and specialists from the Waterworks of the City of Krakow were liable for microbiological safety. – This was not the first time that 11 MBOT tanks were utilized in Małopolska. The water we supply always has an attestation and is safe – Colonel Siudziński assures.
Wójt Żegocin is grateful to the army for their aid quickly. – The reaction was fast and the military was professional and ready to act. Thank you very much to the brigade commander and to all soldier on their own. I hope that we will not gotta usage this aid again, but it is good to know that we can number on the Małopolskie territorials," Wojciech Wrona emphasizes.
The municipality of Żegocin plans to build fresh deep-sea wells to defend residents from akin situations in the future.
