Zhebrivskyi told about the cost of autonomous water supply for the Donetsk region

According to sample calculation, alternative water supply for territories of the Donetsk oblast, controlled by Ukraine, can cost $136 million. This was stated by the chairman of the Donetsk regional civil-military administration Pavlo Zhebrivskyi in an interview with Ukrinform.

The head of the oblast reported on the plans to create an autonomous water supply in the territory, controlled by Ukrainian authorities. "I think that next year, or until the end of the year (if everything goes well), we will provide Mariupol, Nikolske and Manhush districts with alternative water supply. Taking some measures here, between Sloviansk and Kramatorsk, we will increase the water pressure and will be able to provide Volnovakha. After that, we will be able to talk more seriously with that territory about the payment for the water supply. We do not intend to do harm, saying that terrorists are there, etc. Ukrainian citizens, who are forced to live in the temporarily occupied territory, are there. However, the payment must be", - he noted.

Zhebrivskyi provided an example of situation in the occupied Pikuzy (former Kominternove), where gas was earlier supplied from the territory under the control of Ukrainian government (now there is no supplies and the pipe is damaged as a result of the armed hostilities). "They had a head, who raised money for gas supply, brought and handed over them to Mariupolgaz - so no one cut off the gas supply for Pikuzy, because there was a 100% payment for the gas supply", -  the chairman of the Donetsk Regional State Administration noted.

According to him, if there is a payment according to the tariffs which Ukraine has approved for the Water of Donbass unitary enterprise for the water supplies, "we will not cut off something even after we make an autonomous water supply".

Zhebrivskyi replied to the clarification question whether it is possible to cut off the water supply for today: "As of today - no. At the same time, alternative water supply is very expensive. According to our calculation, it could be about $136 million".

He stressed that if the water supply is cut off, the settlements under the control of Ukrainian government will suffer.

"We cannot do like it was in the Luhansk oblast - to cut off because of default on debts. After Popasna, a branch of the water pipeline in Luhansk went to the territory of Ukraine, temporarily uncontrolled by the government. Our situation is more complex. In fact, the water conduit, the so-called Siverskyi Donets channel, goes to the part of Horlivka, Donetsk, Yasynuvata and further to Mariupol. That is, having cut off the water supply for that territory, we will cut off Volnovakha, Mariupol, Nikolske and Manhush districts", - the head of Donetsk Regional State Administration noted.