Russian Prime Minister will check out new technology of extinguishing peat bog fires and discuss putting up homes for homeless fire victims during his work visit to Moscow region on August 16, the press service of the Russian government said.
The Premier will get acquainted with advanced technology of peat bog irrigation which will allow quenching the peat bog fires, which are now raging across Central Russia, much faster, the statement said.
Moscow region authorities have prepared project of peat bog irrigation at the cost of 20-25 billion rubles ($655-818.5 million), Moscow region's Governor Boris Gromov said earlier. The region has already been allocated 300 million rubles ($9.8 million) for these purposes. Peat bog irrigation commenced in six districts of Moscow region on August 12.
Later in the day, Putin will take part in a meeting dedicated to developing cheap and accessible homes for Russians. Building of new homes for fire victims will also be discussed.
The fires ravaging across Russia have already left 3,500 people homeless. Russian authorities have vowed to put up new homes for the fire victims by the end of October.
Since mid-June, the Moscow Region has been in the grips of an abnormal heat wave sparking peat bog and forest fires. Thousands of emergency workers and military personnel have been working round the clock for almost three weeks to fight fires in 22 Russian regions. The immediate economic cost of the fires has been estimated at $15 billion.
The Russian head of government was the co-pilot for half an hour aboard a Be-200 plane scooping up water from the nearby Oka River and dumping it on raging forest fires some 200 kilometers southeast of Moscow.
He dumped approximately 12 tons of water on each of two fires, extinguishing both completely.
MOSCOW, August 15 (RIA Novosti)
