PM orders suspension of the work of excavator in Rila national park

Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has ordered an immediate stop of the work of excavators in Bulgaria’s Rila mountain park and a quick inspection of the construction activities there, the Council of Ministers confirmed for BNT on June 30.

Following the Prime Minister's order, Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev sent a letter to the Minister of Environment and Waters, Emil Dimitrov, in which he stated that all activities under the project "Sustainable Management of Rila National Park - Second Phase" should be stopped.

In the letter, the Deputy Prime Minister insists that the project activities be suspended until the completion of the inspection, which must establish whether all regulations and standards are being met.

As BNT informed on Sunday, members of the public published in the social media that they were surprised to see heavy construction equipment near the area of the Seven Rila Mountain Lakes and expressed fears that this may be a new construction in the area. The concerns were categorically refuted by the park's management.

The excavator at the fifth lake, Babreka (the Kidney), is actually there to repair and strengthen the existing hiking trails. The activities are part of a large-scale project of Rila National Park, which is worth BGN 11 million.

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Each lake carries a name associated with its most characteristic feature. The highest one is called Salzata ("The Tear") due to its clear waters that allow visibility in depth. The next one in height carries the name Okoto ("The Eye") after its almost perfectly oval form. Okoto is the deepest cirque lake in Bulgaria, with a depth of 37.5 m. Babreka ("The Kidney") is the lake with the steepest shores of the entire group. Bliznaka ("The Twin") is the largest one. Trilistnika ("The Trefoil") has an irregular shape and low shores. The shallowest lake is Ribnoto Ezero ("The Fish Lake") and the lowest one is Dolnoto Ezero ("The Lower Lake"), where the waters that flow out of the other lakes are gathered to form the Dzherman River.