They return the cough to its natural course

The coal mine has announced a tender for the preparation of project documentation for the return of the Ćehotina river to its old course in the part that passes through the Potrlica surface mine.

Ten years ago, the mine moved a part of the Ćehotina stream in a length of about three kilometers, and the project cost the Pljeval company more than 20 million euros. In order to relocate the Ćehotina, Rudnik had to build a dam in Durutovići, in order to divert the river from its former course, build two tunnels, as well as two concrete channels through which the Ćehotina currently flows.

Relocation of Ćehotina across the floors of the internal landfill is foreseen in the Strategy for the further development of coal exploitation in the Pljeval Basin from the Potrlica-Kalušići surface mine.

The return of Ćehotina through the exploitation field is planned after the formation of an internal disposal site at the Potrlica surface mine at an altitude of 760 meters above sea level. A watertight channel that would direct the Ćehotina River is planned through the storage area with a total length of approximately 2,9 kilometers, from the position of the "Durutovići" dam to the bridge near the waterfall of the exit portal of the Velika Pliješ tunnel near the settling tank.

By returning the Ćehotina to its approximately natural course, the current role of the "Durutovići" dam, which was used to divert the river through the tunnel, ends, and the possibility of using its potential for the construction of a mini hydropower plant for the production of electricity is created.

For these reasons, as stated in the tender, the new bed of the Ćehotina river needs to be designed and dimensioned in such a way as to provide accommodation for the facilities of the mini hydropower plant.

According to the conceptual solution within the supplementary mining project for the exploitation of coal at the Potrlica - Pljevlja surface mine for the period from 2020 to 2025, it is planned that in accordance with the dynamics of the works at the landfill and the creation of conditions on the corridor, the construction works will be carried out from two directions: from dam "Durutovići", downstream, towards the point of entry to the internal landfill and from the inlet to the existing trough at the Cementara site, upstream.

"The projected dynamics and quantities of tailings that are planned for excavation and disposal at the landfill are defined in such a way as to enable the timely formation of the route of the corridor and bed for moving the Ćehotina river into a new bed at the beginning of 2024. With the realization of such outlined dynamics, long-term planned dynamics of the continuation of exploitation will be ensured necessary quantities of coal from the Potrlica and Kalušići localities," the tender documents state.

The Secretariat for Spatial Planning of the Municipality of Pljevlja issued the Coal Mine with urban planning and technical conditions for the construction of a watertight channel for the return of the Ćehotina River along the corridor of its approximately natural course.