On October 2, Vitebsk /Olga Bgacheva - BELTA/. Over 90% of the heat sources in the Vitebsk region are ready for the upcoming heating season, Anatoly Sudak, Head of the Production and Technical Department of the Housing and Communal Services Directorate of the Vitebsk Regional Executive Committee, informed a BELTA correspondent. 412 out of 448 heat sources in the Vitebsk region, or 92%, have already received readiness certificates for the heating season. It is planned to complete all preparatory work by October 15. This process is proceeding according to plan, without disruptions, and is intended to be completed within the established deadlines, noted Anatoly Sudak. Over Br83 billion has been allocated for the preparation for the inter-seasonal period in the region, including for the conversion of five boiler houses to local types of fuel with mechanised loading. Thus, two boilers with a capacity of 3 MW each are being installed at the boiler house in the settlement of Babinichi, Orsha district; a 2 MW boiler in Liozno; two boilers with a total capacity of 5 MW in Beshenkovichi; two 2 MW boilers at the Central Boiler House in Borovka, Lepel district; and two 3 MW boilers in Polotsk. Work is also underway to prepare a 2 MW cogeneration unit for commissioning in the settlement of Ruba near Vitebsk. The commissioning of the facility is scheduled for early November. In addition, this year the boiler house facilities of the region's housing and communal services have been supplemented by 46 boiler houses transferred from the balance sheets of educational institutions. This work is ongoing: in total, the region's housing and communal services will have to take over 116 boiler houses from the education sector in the coming years. A fuel reserve is being formed in the region to ensure the heating season. 256 thousand cubic meters of firewood (80% of the target), 56 thousand cubic meters of dense fuel chips (93% respectively), and 4.7 thousand tons of peat (67%) have already been procured. As these fuel reserves are used, they will be replenished. 82 km of heating networks have also been replaced. The heating will be switched on in accordance with the established procedure, the interviewee reminded. Preschool, school, educational, social, and medical institutions, as well as other socially oriented facilities, will be the first to enter the heating season when the average daily air temperature is plus 10 degrees Celsius or below for five consecutive days. After the average daily temperature drops to 8 degrees Celsius for a similar period, the connection of residential buildings will begin. -0-

BELTA