Even protected areas are not safe from wild builders - since the beginning of the year, the company National Parks of Montenegro (NPCG) has reported more than 35 cases of illegal construction in strictly protected localities, mostly on Lake Skadar and Prokletije.
"Since being declared an ecological state, Montenegro has managed to formally protect about 13 percent of the country's territory, however, in many segments, measures and activities that would allow the areas that have been placed under protection to develop properly have been missing. Protected areas in Montenegro are attacked from different angles and in different ways, which include illegal cutting of forests, poaching and illegal fishing, extraction of sand and gravel, but certainly also illegal construction", the executive director of the "Green home" organization told "Vijesti" Azra Vuković, commenting on the state of protected areas 33 years after the declaration of Montenegro as an ecological state.
By adopting the declaration on ecological state on September 20, 1991 in Žabljak, Montenegro became the first ecological state in the world, and that document was presented the following year at the United Nations conference on environmental protection held in Rio de Janeiro.
In the strictly protected areas of the Durmitor National Park, however, 33 years later, five attempts at illegal construction have been reported since the beginning of this year, three in the Biogradska gora NP zone, and one in the Lovćen NP.
"Illegal construction is particularly problematic because the areas where the buildings were built were permanently and irretrievably destroyed, which speaks of the state's lack of strength and will to fight these problems, which was absent in previous years and is still absent now, especially bearing in mind that new buildings in protected areas are practically built overnight without any consequences for the illegal builders", said Vuković.
NPCG: We also report to the municipalities and the ministry
The National Parks protection services, according to that state enterprise, regularly record and report all changes in the areas of the national parks.
They remind that illegal construction has been a state problem for years, which has not bypassed protected natural zones and reserves.
Illegal activities, NPCG explains, in the protected territories of national parks consist of pouring concrete slabs, installing canopies, terraces, carrying out earthworks...
They emphasized that official notes and reports about this are, further, sent to the competent state bodies.
"Official notes and applications are sent to the competent state bodies - the Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property (MDUP), the Directorate for Inspection Affairs (UIP), communal inspections of local governments for further action," said the NPCG.
Cases of illegal construction, specify from NPCG, were recorded on private and state land.
"As an example, we cite Prokletije National Park, where out of 13 recorded cases of illegal construction, four are on private and nine on state land. We remind you that construction in national parks is limited and that for any interventions in the space, it is necessary to have appropriate permits from the competent state authorities", they pointed out.
They noted that NPCG does not have the authority to issue permits for construction in a protected area.
"...It is already in the competence of municipal and state institutions. NPCG's obligation is to control the space, inform state authorities and inspections, which further take over activities in accordance with their competences", said NPCG.
They point out that, upon learning about illegal builders, they also warned local governments.
"The UIP, the Municipal Police of the Municipality of Plužine, the Security Department in Žabljak, and the Municipal Police of Žabljak were informed about the illegal construction in Durmitor National Park. The Ministry of Interior, the Municipality of Plav, the Municipality of Gusinja, the UIP were informed about the illegal construction in NP Prokletije, and one case was also processed by the Basic State Prosecutor's Office (ODT)...", NPCG said.
The Ministry of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property, whose minister is Slaven Radunović, told "Vijesta" that inspection measures were taken in the mentioned cases of illegal construction.
"...In accordance with the provisions and powers of the urban planning and construction inspection (Law on Spatial Planning and Construction of Buildings and Law on Inspection Supervision), and in this sense, decisions on the prohibition of construction and decisions on the removal of buildings were made", they said and added that have forwarded a large number of applications to local self-governments for processing.
Vuković: Grebaja seriously attacked by wild construction
Vuković emphasizes that one of the areas seriously attacked by illegal construction is the Grebaja valley in Gusinje.
"...In which numerous illegal buildings have been built in the last few years without a plan, without permits, without adequate guidelines, and which in the future will be very difficult to fit into meaningful units that can meet the growing needs of very specific tourism in that area" , she said.
According to her, in recent years the process of legal construction has been significantly complicated by the fact that the Spatial Plan of Montenegro has not been adopted, nor have numerous lower level plans.
"...And that caused massive illegal construction. An additional problem is that the planned legalization of illegally built buildings did not produce the desired results, so in terms of spatial planning and the construction of buildings on the ground, it is complete chaos," Vuković assessed.
She emphasizes that, unfortunately, we had the opportunity in the election campaigns of the parties to hear proposals that it is necessary to provide subsidies and facilities for the legalization of illegally built buildings.
"At the same time, we have a complete absence of ideas from the parties on how to plan the space in this country and enable the citizens to use the space sustainably. Instead of focusing on finding ways to legalize illegally built structures, thereby further encouraging illegal construction, work should be done on providing a framework for legal and sustainable development. Our central authorities and local governments should work on providing planning assumptions for the construction of legal buildings in a simple and acceptable way, and not spend time and resources to legalize illegally built buildings", concluded Vuković.
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