Danube hits historic low in Serbia amid severe drought

The Danube has reached a historic low in Serbia as prolonged drought and a lack of rainfall continue to affect one of Europe’s most important waterways.

The water level at the Bezdan hydrological station in Vojvodina, near the Serbia-Hungary border, fell to a record low of 173 centimetres below normal, Serbian broadcaster RTS reports.

“This is a new historic minimum — the lowest water level ever recorded on the Danube at this station,” said Igor Kolakovic, acting director of the state-owned Vode Vojvodina enterprise.

Kolakovic said the situation has worsened compared with August, when the water level dropped to 169 centimetres on two occasions. The latest reading, however, was even lower.

Similar conditions have been reported on the Tisa River, where water inflow is approaching the biological minimum, he added. In several parts of Serbia, excavators are being used to deepen riverbeds, while additional pumps have been deployed to help maintain water supplies.

By Vafa Guliyeva