The latest floods in the northwest of Bosnia and Herzegovina caused great damage. In order to cover all the rehabilitation costs, greater involvement of higher levels of government is necessary, and citizens are reminded that they have not yet received money even for the previous floods that hit this area in December last year.
Outraged citizens in areas that were flooded are repairing new damage. As much as their household budget allows, because they haven’t received anything even for the last one, in December.
“I did not report the damage. What am I going to do… I have nothing to report, when I know there is nothing to be gained from it, it’s all for nothing,” said Hafija Zulić, a resident.
For the second time in just five months, Mehmed Ramakić’s house was flooded in the Pokoj neighborhood of Bihac. Taught by previous experiences, he did not want to wait for help, he started the rehabilitation with his own funds.
“The damage was over 10,000 BAM, and they said to give about 3,000. And they’re not even that. I expect nothing, if you believe me, nothing. One is an ordinary door for five or six hundred BAM. It will cost me around 5-6 thousand just to do this room,” points out Mehmed Ramakić, a resident of Pokoj.
The procedure for compensating damages is slow and complicated. There are not enough funds either. Only about 20 percent of what is estimated will be paid out. And not to everyone. Certain criteria will also have to be met.
“Yes, the buildings are not considered illegally built and the flooded building is the only residential building owned by a person. If the mentioned two criteria are not met, that it is possibly a social and vulnerable category. All funds will not be used only for the repair of damage to fellow citizens, but partly also for the repair of infrastructure, roads, canals and emergency intervention measures that were taken during the floods”, emphasizes Elvedin Sedić, Mayor of Bihać.
Floods, in addition to damage, also brought to citizens the hard realization that they are mostly left to their own in their troubles. They hope that the new wave of precipitation will bypass them this time and that the authorities will seriously deal with the problem of solving and building embankments.
