The Minister of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property, Janko Odović, together with the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the "Regional Waterworks of the Montenegrin Coast", Zoran Lakušić, visited the location in the Morača River bed, in the Second Sanitary Protection Zone of the source of Boljesestra, where illegal activities took place in the past period exploitation of gravel and sand.
On that occasion, Odović said that around 100 million euros are needed to "return everything to its previous state".
The goal of the meeting, as reported by Mediabiro, was for the management of the state company to present to the minister the seriousness of the problem of illegal exploitation of gravel and sand, which poses a threat not only to that company and the bounty of the Boljesestra water source, but also to the environment in the area.
"Minister Odović assured me that this Government will firmly stand in defense of the assets of Montenegro and that we will have zero tolerance when it comes to the illegal exploitation of gravel in the Morača River bed. What we must do in the coming period is to remove all the devastators that are in this area, i.e. their facilities and machinery. They are there illegally from the very beginning, because any economic activities are prohibited in the Second Zone. It is absolutely necessary that all persons who carry out activities in the area of the Second Sanitary Protection Zone dismantle their equipment themselves and leave this area, so that the construction inspection does not do it by force," said Lakušić.
Odović's visit was, as stated, the first step by which the ministry would support the creation of assumptions for the final resolution of the problem, through the determination of concrete measures and activities to combat the phenomenon.
"This is a facility that is of national and state importance precisely because of that amount of water and its use in the tourist season in the coastal area, the state has one billion euros. In the previous 30 years, the people in power completely ignored it. Every hole that is visible at the source is a shot in the heart of the country, Morača is slowly receding and thus the pumping stations for this source are placed above the level of Morača and have no effect," said Odović.
He adds that everything that is possible by the relevant ministry will be respected.
He points out that he has already called a construction inspection that will visit the remaining separation plants, in order to "proceed the persons who violated the ban and continue to work at the source".
"Around 100 million euros are needed to restore everything to its previous state, which is a really large amount, but we will try to do everything in our power. All machines and all facilities must be repurposed to work against the devastation of the area and to work on rehabilitation, any further devastation must be prohibited and, in cooperation with the army and the police, if necessary, any further disposal of garbage and rubble that may endanger it must be prevented the environment, but also human lives," the minister pointed out.
The tour of the site was attended by journalist and activist Vuk Vujisić.
"Primary rehabilitation can begin immediately with the help of the machines of the company DOO "Protection of Space of Montenegro", only funds are needed to pay for manpower and fuel. I sincerely hope that, when we stop all these illegal activities by installing cameras and more supervisors, in the coming period we will start planning the promenade and the coastal fort to the satisfaction of all citizens," said Vujisić.
Bonus video:
