Trebinje planning modern irrigation system for more than 1,000 hectares of agricultural land

The Ministry of Spatial Planning, Civil Engineering and Ecology of the Republic of Srpska has published a notice of receipt of applications for a preliminary environmental impact assessment for the project to build an irrigation system for Trebinjsko polje and the Zupci water intake in the area of the city of Trebinje.

The application was submitted by the City of Trebinje, while the study was prepared by Institut za gradjevinarstvo IG d.o.o. The project includes the construction of a modern irrigation system on a total of approximately 1,070 hectares of agricultural land in Trebinje, Petrovo-Pavlovo and Mokro polje.

According to the documentation, the planned investment is a response to decades-old problems with existing irrigation systems that rely on open canals and are characterized by high water consumption, demanding maintenance and limited effects on the development of agricultural production. The study states that during the hydrological minimum, the existing systems consume more than 3,000 liters of water per second from the Trebisnjica River bed and the hydrotechnical tunnel, which is why their thorough reconstruction and transition to modern solutions are proposed.

The planned system should enable the irrigation of a total of 1,071 hectares of land with an estimated water need of 1,045 liters per second. The construction of almost 27 kilometers of transport pipelines of various profiles is planned, as well as several reservoirs and pumping stations.

The project defines three subsystems. The first includes Petrovo and Mokro polje with an irrigation area of 620.5 hectares, the second part of Trebinjsko polje, Gomiljansko polje and the areas along the Pridvoracki and Catovica branches with a total of 314.17 hectares, while the third covers Zasad polje and Mostace on an area of 137.15 hectares.

The technical solution is based on a combined system of pumping stations and reservoirs. The construction of the “Bihovo” system reservoir with a volume of 5,000 cubic meters, the “Volujac” counter-reservoir with a capacity of 2,000 cubic meters, the “Zupci” reservoir with a capacity of 200 cubic meters and the smaller “Kremni Do” reservoir is planned.

In addition to irrigation of agricultural areas, the project also envisages improving the water supply of the Zubac plateau with an average capacity of 24 liters per second, or up to 40 liters per second during periods of maximum consumption.

Within the system, the construction and reconstruction of three pumping stations is planned - “Petrovo polje”, “Zasad polje” and “Geljev most”, whose total capacity will exceed 1,300 liters of water per second.

The Ministry invited the interested public to review the content of the request via the Ministry’s website and submit opinions, comments and suggestions within 15 days of the publication of the notice. Comments can be submitted by mail to the Ministry’s address in Banja Luka or electronically.

The implementation of the project is expected to result in more rational water consumption, greater efficiency of the irrigation system, and the creation of conditions for more intensive development of agricultural production in the Trebinje area.

S. T.

City of Trebinje

Institut za građevinarstvo IG

Ministry of Spatial Planning of RS

project to build an irrigation system for Trebinjsko polje

modernization of Trebinje irrigation system

Trebišnjica

Zasad polje

Trebinjsko polje

Petrovo

Mokro polje

Gomiljansko polje