A number of weirs built without authorization across Ialpugel, a tributary of the Ialpug River in southern Moldova, are being demolished, the Ministry of the Environment announced. The intervention comes following complaints from the public about their access to water being restricted.

The Environmental Protection Inspectorate initially issued orders prescribing the owners to take down the dams voluntarily, and after they failed to comply, the Ministry intervened with demolition works, thus restoring the river to its natural bed.

“Water is a common, essential good, and attempts to limit access to it represent an unacceptable abuse”, says a press release from the Ministry of the Environment.