Nestos

Five of 21 planned irrigation projects, with an estimated budget of €800 million, are ready to proceed with the call for binding bids.

The largest project, worth €210million, is the irrigation of the Xanthi plain, in northeastern Greece, from the Nestos River.

The EU's Recovery Fund will contribute 30% of the cost.

The union representing local authority workers, POE-OTA, issued an indignant statement on Wednesday, complaining that drivers of water carriers for the Municipality of Nestos in northeastern Greece who were rushing to supply water to firefighting vehicles during a blaze in Petropigi were forced to pay tolls on the Egnatia Odos highway.

The wetland of the river Nestos in Eastern Macedonia, which is adjacent to the offshore hydrocarbon production platforms of Prinos of Kavala and the land processing and storage facilities of Nea Karvali, proves to be free of hydrocarbons.

Reports emerged from Mesolongi, central Greece, a few days ago of the country's most serious case of vulture poisoning in the last decade, with nine dead birds found so far in the area's lagoon, while two others were transported to hospital in Athens.

The environment ministry on Thursday warned of an expected rise in river levels as rain started to fall in many Bulgarian regions.

According to a forecast of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology, a more considerable rainfall is expected in southern Bulgaria.

Rains and high waters of rivers expected in the south of Bulgaria and the north of Greece have prompted the Environment Ministry in Sofia to issue a warning for Saturday.

Weather forecasts predict heavy showers varying between 15-25 liters per square meter in the Rila-Rhodope region and 1-5 liters in Bulgaria's north.