European investments in Drăgușenii Noi: Wastewater plant, repaired roads, and modernized medical facility
The Republic of Moldova faces a major infrastructure deficit, with only about 9% of rural sewage and wastewater treatment systems meeting required standards. However, the village of Drăgușenii Noi, in the Hâncești district, offers an example of development driven by investment. With European support, the village built and put into operation a wastewater treatment plant; the treated water could potentially be reused for irrigation. Other projects have also been implemented in the locality, improving residents' living conditions.
One of the village's most significant investments was completing the wastewater treatment plant under the "European Village 2" program. Over 6 million lei were allocated to equip the facility and bring it into operation.
"There are three lines here; each line consists of 3–4 tanks, with the third tank containing the micro-bacteria. In the first tank, the water is kept in constant circulation. Blowers supply air to sustain the micro-bacteria. From the fourth tank, the treated water flows into a ravine, and people use it for irrigation," explains Constantin Corniță, the mayor of Drăgușenii Noi commune.
200 households are connected to the water and sewage system.
"I have a family—two children, a girl and a boy. The girl is 12, the boy is 6. We use water quite often. Having access to a sewage system—along with our existing water supply—is a great benefit for my family; we can bathe properly now."
"Our family has two children, and I would say that the sewage system—both for our family and for our community—means, first and foremost, better health, and secondly, greater comfort."
The facility housing the family doctors' practice was renovated for nearly 170,000 euros. The work was carried out as part of the "Health Without Borders" project, funded by the European Union.
"Both the exterior and the interior were transformed. We now have a ramp for people with disabilities, and ambulances can pull up right to the building's entrance—neither of which existed before," notes the local mayor.
"It is the same family doctors' practice, but it has undergone a high-standard, 'European-style' renovation. We are all very pleased; the conditions are excellent. It’s attractive, bright, and people feel comfortable here."
Also through European projects, local roads were repaired at a cost of nearly 2 million lei. Furthermore, with the support of the Swiss Government, over 6.2 million lei will be allocated to a shared sanitation service for Drăgușenii Noi, as well as for the localities of Ciuciuleni and Bobeica.
