07.06.2014.

Serbian Armed Forces in Flood Relief in Obrenovac Day Four

Minister Gasic visited the barracks in Obrenovac

19:45 - Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic has visited today Obrenovac Crisis Response Headquarters and "Bora Markovic" barracks in the city where he talked to people who were accommodated in it after they had to leave their homes due to flooding, as well as with members of the Serbian Armed Forces engaged in clearing.

On this occasion, Minister Gasic said that the epidemiological situation in Obrenovac was under control.

- Exactly what we did in the previous days, from 4 to 7 June, resulted in the fact that there is no risk of any infection and you can see how intensively the work is being done. In these four days, 8500 tonnes of bulky waste was taken out, plus additional 4000 on two landfills which are also to be transported to Vinca afterwards. The goal is to clean up the city as soon as possible. Tanks for sewage drains draw out twenty tours and more each due to the fact that the configuration of the field is such that we have to draw water from the depressions in that way - Minister Gasic said.

According to him, more than 90 percent of Obrenovac town has electricity, one hundred percent also has technical water, and it is expected that the examinations will be made to ensure that the water is safe for drinking. Workers of the public utilities from Krusevac and Pancevo mowed over 100 hectares, and they will be working on it also tomorrow in order for all area of Obrenovac to be mown.

- All the bags on the access roads have been removed and all the central streets with cross driveways were washed and disinfected. The big problem also arised because some people did not take out their things on time, which brings us back - Minister Gasic emphasized noting that the situation in Obrenovac has been 90 percent brought back to normal.

But, as Minister of Defence pointed out, this is not the end, because it remains equally difficult part to provide these people furniture, decking, flooring and other things which are necessary. Minister Gasic urged citizens of Obrenovac to wait for metal containers which will be brought there in front of their houses to remove the plaster and frames of the door, because that is the only way that the city can function normally.

Speaking of facilities for the reception of the citizens, Gasic pointed out that the said workers' barracks will be ready as early as tomorrow to receive hundred more people and there are just over 400 people accommodated in the barracks. It should be also made sure that the elderly and sick people get beds, provided by the Gendarmerie.

- Today a "bypass" has been done so that sewage can work, and the work on restoring the sewage into normal operation has begun and in the next six days it will be returned to its original state - Minister Gasic said noting that more than 200 sets of protective equipment were distributed to the citizens, as well as that the situation with the food supply has been normalized.

Speaking on the involvement of the Serbian Armed Forces, Defence Minster said that 1,000 members of the military are in Obrenovac and this will remain so until the finalization of the task of normalization of living conditions, that was given by the Prime Minister and the Government of the Republic of Serbia.

- It cannot be expected that the military would stay to bring in the furniture tomorrow, but we are going to restore the state and restore the things in the town to normal - Minister Gasic said.

Flood relief

13:15 - More than a thousand members of the Serbian Armed Forces have been working on flood relief in Obrenovac and its surroundings. General Ljubisa Dikovic, the Serbian Armed Forces Chief of General Staff arrived around noon in the premises of the Crisis Response Headquarters in order to get acquainted with the situation in the town and he gave precise instructions for further involvement of the military units.

According to Colonel Zoran Velickovic, Deputy Commander of the Special Brigade, members of the Armed Forces are now working on the removal of bulky trash and debris, cutting overgrown grass surfaces and washing and disinfecting the streets.

- Until this morning in two deployable medical treatment facilities set up by the MMA, about 250 patients
were examined. Last night, the Red Cross accommodated about 200 people in the premises of the "Bora Markovic" barracks in Obrenovac, and today about 250 people who had to leave their homes due to flooding are expected to arrive - Colonel Velickovic said.

He added that the units of the Armed Forces have been working on clearing the barracks of TPP "Nikola Tesla" that is soon to receive a new group of displaced persons.

Statements from the field

According to Aleksandar Djukanovic from the village Rvati, whose family home was flooded up to the roof, the help of the military in the previous days was remarkable.

- Help of these boys and girls is fantastic. They are working without respite, rest and grumbling. Not just me, but also the neighbours are more than pleased with their help. They helped in taking out the equipment and furniture from the yard and from the street where there was a huge pile of bulky waste – Djukanovic said pointing out that a large amount of waste from the streets has already been taken away.

According to Sergeant First Class Zejak, the second auxiliary squad leader in the command company of the Command Battalion of the Training Command from Topcider, he has been engaged in clearing of Obrenovac with colleagues since 3rd June.

- We have worked every day from 7 am to 6 pm, and in accordance with the capabilities and responsibilities of units, there are between 40 and 50 soldiers in the field. People who can throw their furniture out of the house alone, they do it themselves and we are helping those who are powerless and we do it every day – Zejak says.