Tartu locals take to the ice as Emajõgi River freezes over
The layer of ice on Tartu's Emajõgi River has grown to nearly 30 centimeters in places, with locals using the river for walking and cycling. While thinner ice may make it dangerous to walk on in places, there are no plans to establish an official ice road or conduct regular checks.
Data from the Environment Agency show that the ice on the Emajõgi River is over 30 centimeters thick in places, with locals using the frozen river for walking, skiing and cycling.
"Those who live in the Raadi area, for example, and would like to visit Tähtvere Park still have to take a very long detour. Currently, for example, it takes me about 10 to 15 minutes to get there from home, but when there is no ice, it takes around 30 to 40 minutes to walk," said local resident Allan.
"I remember ice this thick on the Emajõgi River from my childhood, when it was safe to walk across. It hasn't been this thick for a long time. I think maybe not for 15 or 20 years," said Marti, another resident of Tartu.
The Environment Agency confirmed that the last time the ice on the Emajõgi River was this thick was 15 years ago.
However, the agency measures ice thickness only once or twice during the winter in the Kvissentali area, so there is no precise information about how thick the ice actually is under the bridges and on bends in the river, where usually it is thinner. According to the Environment Agency, with the weather now getting slightly warmer, more regular measurements of the ice's thickness may be considered.
"This is also a question of historical memory. In the past, during colder winters, historical memory made it clear where you could and couldn't go. However, that knowledge has been lost and so we shouldn't wait until someone drowns. In that sense, a control mechanism ought to be created in case of exceptionally thick ice in the future," said Tanel Toots, chief specialist in hydrological monitoring at the Environment Agency.
While pedestrians were still able to walk on the Daugava River in Riga this week, on Friday doing so was banned for safety reasons. The City of Tartu will not ban walking on Emajõgi River, but it also has no plans to measure the thickness of the ice every day nor to create an official ice road or path.
"People taking responsibility themselves is always paramount, and we do not see that the city hiring someone to monitor the situation is reasonable or necessary at this time. When the ice starts to melt in the spring, we may have to take action if there are too many people still on the ice, but we do not see the need to create an ice road controlled by the city," said Tartu Deputy Mayor Priit Humal.
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Editor: Johanna Alvin, Michael Cole
Source: "Aktuaalne kaamera"
