04.02.2012.

SAF clears snow across Serbia

About 400 members of the Serbian Army, with 34 machines were clearing snow yesterday in many cities and municipalities in Serbia. The armed forces help in cleaning the snow in Sjenica, Nova Varos, Bosilegrad, Prijepolje Babusnica, Ivanjica, Mali Zvornik, Nis, Blace, Kursumlija, Prokuplje, Gornji Milanovac, Krusevac, Kraljevo, Pancevo, Belgrade and Pozarevac.

According to Colonel Zvonimir Pesic, Head of the Department for Civil-Military Cooperation of the General Staff, the military is still involved today in cleaning up in coordination with the city staff for emergency situations. Priority areas were military, Military Medical Academy, Central Military Club and Knez Milos and Bircanin Streets.

Yesterday, almost 300 soldiers were engaged on clearing snow in Belgrade. From the early morning hours at a temperature of-10 C, clearing snow from sidewalks in Knez Milos Street, in front of the Assembly of Serbia at the Gazela bridge and in streets Gavrilo Princip and Jug -Bogdanova in the municipality of Savski venac.

With members of the Guard, Training Command, 250 missile brigade and the signal brigade Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Milan Bjelica who said that the army will help city agencies and citizens throughout the day and the next day if necessary, in municipalities where a state of emergency was declared in early January with the army machines and immediately engaged the support continues.

At the meeting of the City Board of Emergency Management Mayor Dragan Djilas praised the involvement of soldiers and thanked them for help.

At the request of the City Municipality of Savski venac, soldiers now help citizens and town councils in the streets of Gavrilo Princip and Jug Bogdanova. Member of Municipal Council Branimir Gajic says that this is an example of military cooperation with local governments.

- This means a lot to us because of its capacity would not be able to do this much, we have a lot of endangered snow. It is particularly important that we are very frequent and pedestrian traffic area such as a clean green wreath and thank the soldiers and officers as they helped us do that.

Members of the First Pontoon Battalion of the River Flotilla were engaged in clearing snow in Mali Zvornik municipality on 2 February. Dozer of the First Pontoon Battalion , cleans snow on the road Mali Zvornik - Radak Voda- Alibegovac - Samardzic. So far a total of 12 kilometers of road has been cleared, with a persistent snowfall and low temperature.

Members of the Training Command Battalion Command are clearing snow and maintaining the road and on the section of the military resorts to Rajac Slavkovica.

- After the 27th January, when we are in difficult weather conditions with snow causing more than 2 meters managed to break through to the resort section Kolubara resort guests and provide a link with the rest of the world, today is the hardest day - says corporal Jovan Ikonic, who drives the military ulta.

- Weather conditions were difficult, but our experience and knowledge of the terrain help us in many ways, keeping to roads clear- says Sergeant First Class Milan Vujinovic.

In addition to low temperatures, the snow which does not stop creates further difficulties and the win deposits snowdrifts thus blocking the traffic in the mountains leading to a deadlock. Remote villages are the most difficult to approach.