The more south, the sadder, this is how Starogradan Ismet Karamamanaga commented on the claim of the Minister of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property, Janko Odović, that the works on the ground floor arrangement of the Great Scaffold under Ulcinj's Old Town, projected at over one million euros, are not worth more than 300 thousand euros.
He said this in response to the question of MP Mehmed Zenka (DUA) - where are the 958 thousand allegedly spent on the arrangement of the plateau below the Old Town.
"Now we see how ineffective the previous Board of Directors of the Public Enterprise for the Management of Marine Assets, led by the president, was, to say the least. And what was it really spent on and where are those 958 thousand euros? According to the reports I received from the appraiser, these works are not worth more than 270-300 thousand euros. I promise you that I will investigate the entire procedure to the best of my ability, but I also announce that the first task of the new JP Board of Directors will be to investigate the entire case, because this is unacceptable," Odović said.
He assessed that the entire project was poorly designed.
"We had a big stoppage, because the works could not be carried out due to the effect of waves in the south and south-west wind. Someone made a mistake in planning, designing, but also in the creation of the main project. There were abuses, the money of all citizens was shamefully wasted," Odović said.
Karamanaga said that the citizens of Starograd were against such arrangement of the Great Scaffold from the beginning.
"They tore down the wall we had that was protecting us from the waves. Now during storms, the entire plateau turns blue and the water even reaches the jacuzzi, as we call Kacema, which was also built by Morsko dobro, i.e. evil. They say that they will solve the problem of flooding by installing some kind of urchins. I told them to build a wall like before, there are natural rocks, it's simple," Karamanaga told Vijesta.
Everything Morsko did well in Ulcinj, he claims, was wrong.
Commenting on the answer, Zenka told Odović that Ulcinj was always given with a spoon and taken with a shovel.
The implementation of the Great Scaffolding project, from the very beginning of the works in October 2022, has been followed by controversies. The first deadline for the implementation of the project was 120 days, but it was smoothly broken, just like the second one until the beginning of last season.
In the company Erlang, which is the contractor, it was confirmed to "News" that already at the very beginning of the works, significant discrepancies between the actual condition on the ground and the prepared project were noted, in the part of the concrete base of the promenade.
"The result of the noted irregularities is the extension of the deadlines, as well as the finding of a new technical solution for the concrete surface of the promenade. In a new technical solution, the excavated material from the scaffolding can be used," Erlanga said.
Meanwhile, due to strong storms and large waves, the plateau was completely under water several times during this and last winter.
"Vijesti" was told at the beginning of February in Morski Dobr that the project has already entered the second phase.
"The first phase of the work on the ground floor arrangement of the Great Scaffold has been completed. The second phase of paving is underway, after which it is planned through the Plan for the use of financial resources for the year 2024 to rehabilitate the foundations of the Great Scaffolding after obtaining urban planning and technical conditions and preparation of technical documentation. The protection of the Great Pier against the impact of waves will be carried out by the construction of an underwater pier. The assumption for the realization of this investment is the completion of the amendment and addition of the DSL sector 63, after which the technical documentation will be prepared, and therefore this investment will be realized", it was written in the answer of JP to the question at what stage are the works on the ground floor arrangement of the Great Scaffolding and how JP plans to protect that area from the impact of large waves.
At that time, they did not answer the question regarding when the realization of that project can be expected.
The reaction of the distinguished expert in hydraulics, hydrology and coastal processes, Prof. Dr. Sava Petković from the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade.
"Underwater jetties do not exist, their crown elevation is always above sea level. In addition, piers are objects that extend perpendicularly to the direction of the coast and have no influence on the reduction of wave heights. The reduction of wave heights could be achieved by building an underwater sill, which would extend parallel to the vertical wall of the Great Scaffold, but that is also questionable," Petković was emphatic.
In his reply to Zenka, Odović said that for the party, which represents the completion of the stone-cutting works, around 160 euros have been contracted and allocated.
"We note that according to the JP, the conditions for starting stone-cutting works have not been created until today due to the effect of waves in the south and south-west winds. In the direction of solving this problem and realizing this phase of the investment, JP turned to the initiative to amend and supplement DSL Sector 63 with the intention to foresee the expansion of the Kacema harbor breakwater through the planning document and in that direction supplement the program task", stated Odović.
He added that this includes the planning of underwater engineering structures-nappers to protect the Velika Skela from the impact of waves, the extension of the breakwater of the port of Kacema, the regulation of access to the slipway for pulling out boats, and the planning of the construction of a new transformer station near the Velika Skela.
"The ministry, as the department responsible for the supervision of public enterprises, will carefully monitor the implementation of the aforementioned investment, especially bearing in mind the increased interest of the public as well as the value of the investment itself," said Odović.
Among other things, the project also planned the greening of the plateau with indigenous plants. Karamanaga is adamant that this is also wrong.
"Which plants will survive the salt water. This is nonsense," he said.
And what was it really spent on and where are those 958 thousand euros? According to the reports I received from the appraiser, these works are not worth more than 270-300 thousand euros. I promise you that I will investigate the entire procedure," Odović said
The first border crossing at sea
The works carried out so far on the ground floor arrangement of the Great Scaffolding in Ulcinj cost over 800 thousand euros and have entered the final phase, but the outlines of a modern and attractive space are still not visible, as it appears in the conceptual winning solution at the tender announced by the investor. Sea good.
At the moment, only the lighting poles are reminiscent of the conceptual solution.
The planned use of that area, which includes a total of 4.600 square meters, is a square-dock with a green belt along the rocks at the foot of the Old Town.
Along the rocks below the Old Town, the formation of a green belt is planned, a zone with low autochthonous vegetation that does not require too much care, and several pine and olive trees that provide shade and enrich the ambiance.
With the realization of the project, Ulcinj will get a border crossing at the sea for the first time.
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