The non-governmental organizations Network for the Affirmation of the Non-Governmental Sector (MANS), Green Home and the Center for the Protection and Study of Birds (CZIP) will request that the Parliamentary Committee for Tourism, Agriculture, Ecology and Spatial Planning hold control hearings of the Ministers of Transport Osman Nurković and Sustainable Development and Tourism Pavel Radulović , after a report found that highway construction had devastated the Tara River.
"Radulović because he is a public official who is the embodiment of everything that is not right in connection with the construction of the highway, who continues to protect the interests of contractors and who has been convincing the public of Montenegro all these months that everything is right, that there is nothing controversial with the construction," Lazar Grdinić from MANS said at today's press conference.
Grdinić noted that the minister said about 15 days ago that he wanted to talk about that topic based on arguments.
"So now that this language of arguments has once again denied him, we ask the Assembly to use its control function and listen to the minister," he said, adding that Osman Nurković should also be invited to that hearing as the head of the Ministry, who is the main investor of the works.
"The construction of the bridge devastated the bed of the Tara River, it was stated in the UNESCO report," said Nataša Kovačević from Green Home.
"In particular, an essential assessment of the state of brown trout, as an endangered species, is required, where the World Heritage Center expects urgent feedback by February 1 next year, which is a rather short deadline."
She assessed that the highway construction activities since 2017 have led to the destruction of the surface and underground flora and fauna of Tara.
She said at the press conference that it will take ten years to restore biodiversity.
"We are talking about a type of long-term damage to the environment," Kovačević said.
Ksenija Medenica from CZIP said at the conference that the recently published UNESCO report contained conclusions and recommendations for Durmitor National Park and the Tara River.
"The report expresses extreme concern and our competent institutions are once again called upon to take certain steps and measures in order to prevent further devastation of the area," she said.
According to her, one of the key problems for NP Durmitor is the construction of the highway.
"Its negative impact is not only reflected locally at the site of the works, but it is necessary to make an assessment of the impact on the lower course of the Tara, to determine what is happening downstream," she added.
As she stated, another problem is the question of the borders of NP Durmitor.
"It is unacceptable that a part that does not have any protection mechanism, I mean the part of the municipality of Žabljak, still belongs to the world heritage, and there is no plan to manage that area," she said at the press conference.
"We call on the Ministry to act according to the given recommendations".
Lazar Grdinić from MANS said that this is the fourth document of relevant organizations that examines the threat of Tara in the process of highway construction.
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