Trogir has that Venice sinking feeling.
“Due to frequent floods which threaten the historical centre of Trogir and the coastal areas on Čiovo and Brigi, the Trogir Department for Protection and Rescue has decided to ask Hrvatske Vode to make assessment of vulnerabilities which would form a basis for the development of the flood protection program. Afterwards, a financial plan will be drawn up that will determine how much it would cost to protect the town”, said Vedrana Zelalija, deputy mayor of Trogir, reports Slobodna Dalmacija on October 12, 2015.
Nearly six years have passed since that proclamation, but nothing has happened in the meantime. Poor economic situation and over-indebtedness, as well as the lack of will and ideas for long-term development of the town, have paralyzed the decision-making process. Luckily, weather conditions in recent years have been good for Trogir. There was no major flooding, so the problem of sinking has been put on the back burner.
Vedrana Zelalija, who is no longer in politics, acknowledges that the activities on the issue have gradually faded. Her successor as deputy mayor Filip Anđelić prefers to talk about the financial problems of the city. “The Eco-Agency will renovate the sewer system in the old town and that will improve the situation, but as far as floods are concerned, we have problems at two locations. For serious operations to begin, we first have to do a lot of preliminary activities”, said Anđelić.
Trogir obviously has neither will nor power to seriously tackle the important issue for its own future. No one is even discussing the possibility of applying to EU funds. The reason is clear – in order to apply for financial assistance, it is necessary to have projects. “As far as the documentation is concerned, in contrast to Dubrovnik and Split, Trogir has absolutely nothing”, said dr. Miroslav Katić, head of the Department of Conservation in Trogir. He added that the Ministry of Culture has this year set aside 250,000 kuna, which is enough money just to get started with the project.
So, Trogir is standing still. Actually, it is sinking, even without disturbing announcements by experts on global warming that the sea levels will rise, which could lead to sinking of the old centre of Trogir. Floods in the historical centre have often occurred even in earlier history, but the problem is much greater now when almost all the basements in the town have floors made of concrete instead of dirt.
Trogir is not as rich as Venice, which has a drainage system to defend itself. But, the beautiful historic town has a right to be saved. The authorities should finally start doing their job and implement protection measures for Trogir. Particularly since the money apparently is not the biggest problem.
