The government has released the previously suspended €1.28 million for mosquito control in Bulgarian Danube region.
This decision brings renewed hope among residents that a large-scale mosquito outbreak will either be prevented or at least significantly contained.
The funds will be transferred directly from the Ministry of Health to the Ministry of Agriculture, allowing the Bulgarian Food Safety Agency to begin anti-mosquito treatment operations.
Orlin Penkov, District Governor of Ruse:
“The Bulgarian Food Safety Agency has the resources to carry out spraying as soon as possible. Yes, the deadlines are slightly delayed, that is a fact, but we have seen this in other years as well. My assurances from both the Ministry and the Food Safety Agency are that spraying will begin within 7 to 10 days, which — depending on the weather conditions — still gives a real opportunity for it to be effective.”
Mayors, meanwhile, have reportedly been ready to consider protests and road blockades due to the disruption of the mosquito-control programme along the Danube.
Concerns among residents have focused on the delay and the development of larvae, particularly in the most problematic areas of state territory — including islands, wetlands, and coastal zones.
Georgi Georgiev, manager of a pest control company:
“As they say, better late than never. Although we have missed the first wave of the population, which in my view will soon need to be treated by municipalities on the ground. It is good that the funds have been released — the question is how they will be used, because effective treatment requires a lot of manual labour. If they think they can simply make one aerial pass from end to end, that will not work. There must be monthly inspections, treatments, and reporting. It is a very complex task with a very large workload.”
The expectation is that spraying operations against mosquitoes will begin as early as next week, weather conditions permitting.
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