Jelena Subin

The Danube near Bezdan reached a record low of minus 169 centimetres on 5 August 2026, disrupting irrigation in northern Bačka after the Barački canal nearly dried up. Local residents describe unprecedented conditions, while excavators work to deepen the canal and restore water supply to the Danube-Tisa-Danube hydrosystem. Experts advise against swimming in the river and eating Danube fish because the combination of low water, extreme heat and possible bacterial contamination creates health risks. Pond fish are considered safer, although water temperatures above 30°C are also threatening fish farming. Fishermen report that fish have moved to deeper water and are barely biting.

The story follows residents of Busije, a refugee settlement near Belgrade founded by Serbs displaced from Croatia during Operation Storm in August 1995. Damir Šarić and Jovan Vučenović recall fleeing their homes in Dalmatia and the Knin area, traveling in overcrowded tractor and vehicle convoys, and struggling to settle in Serbia. The article outlines the contested death and displacement tolls, attacks on the refugee convoy, the destruction of villages and the Hague proceedings involving Croatian generals. Three decades later, Busije has developed into a substantial community whose residents built homes, a church, a school and FK Busije, a football club composed almost exclusively of people from Krajina. Football has helped create collective identity and public recognition, although the settlement still lacks its own playing field and memories of war remain painful and politically divisive.