Residents of the Zeta settlement of Botun will not oppose the construction of a wastewater treatment plant on their territory if their neighbors, residents of the rest of Zeta, support the construction of the collector in a referendum scheduled for December 14th.
That's what he told "Vijesta". Dusko Stijepović, a resident of Botun who has been on duty for days under a tent near the location where the plant is planned to be built.
According to him, the decision of the majority of Zeća residents in the referendum must be fully respected.
"It's about basic democratic principles. Vox populi, vox dei - the voice of the people is the voice of God," he told a journalist who visited Botun two nights ago.
Last Friday, some of the people of Botunja set up a tent at the location, in the industrial zone of the former Aluminum Plant (KAP), where the construction of a collector for the capital is planned.
They announced that they would stand guard at the site until the scheduled referendum in Zeta, in case the Podgorica authorities start construction earlier. They said that they have been fighting against the construction of the collector at that location for 20 years, and they proposed a plot near the Luča bridge for the new location of the facility.
Stijepović said that in recent days, "almost all representatives of political parties in Zeta, even the opposition," have visited and supported them.
"We are very grateful to them for that. It is proof that Zeta is united in the stance that we are not asking for anything other than healthy air, land and the environment. This is something that is guaranteed to us by the Constitution of Montenegro. We are not asking for positions or privileges, but the basic things for a good life," he said.
Although the people of Botunja have invited the mayor for talks in recent days Saša Mujović, premiere Milojko Spajić, Minister of Spatial Planning, Urbanism and State Property (MDUP) Slaven Radunović and other government representatives, Stijepović claims that none of them addressed them.
"I am not even aware that the president of the country contacted us." Jakov Milatovic, nor Prime Minister Spajić... It would be good if they came forward. We should finally establish a real dialogue and find a common compromise. It doesn't matter who visits whom, it is important that we be together and try to solve this huge problem," he said.
The Capital City has repeatedly stated that the collector must be built, because Podgorica risks losing around 100 million euros, both in funds received from the European Union (EU) for construction, and through the payment of compensation (penalties) to the contractor - a Turkish company.
When asked whether the people of Botunja expect the Capital City to dispute the results of the referendum in the event that the people of Zeća refuse to have the collector on their territory, Stijepović said that the Podgorica authorities will "try to dispute everything."
"And to impose a media story that suits them. They have taken a harsh stance towards us and launched a media campaign at all levels. We think they will go to the end to convince us or to start building the collector by force. Our opinion is that the majority of Zeća residents will say 'no' to the collector, because they are aware of the facts and the dangers that threaten this type of facility, which we consider to be outdated and inadequate. We think that there are better and more modern solutions, and that we should think in that direction," he said.
According to the Draft Budget Decision of Podgorica for next year, the city administration plans to allocate more than 17 million euros for the construction of collectors.
Podgorica recently received a building permit for the project, but the residents of Botuni have said that they will not allow construction.
The Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development (MERS) rejected the appeal of the people of Botunja against the decision of the Environmental Protection Agency, which gave approval to the impact assessment study for the collector construction project in that Zeta settlement.
While Podgorica is threatened with an ecological disaster due to an outdated plant located in the most populated area of the city and treating wastewater for up to 55.000 people, which represents a quarter of Podgorica's population, it is also threatened with financial collapse - it will pay 100 million euros in sanctions, based on numerous signed contracts, if work on the new collector does not begin by the end of the year.
Failure to resolve the wastewater issue may jeopardize the closure of Chapter 27 (environmental protection), and thus slow down the country's path towards EU membership.
Professors from the University of Belgrade Cedo Maksimović i Alexander Jovovich During a discussion dedicated to the analysis of the Environmental Impact Assessment Study for the collector construction project, they said that the document was incomplete. They said that the planned wastewater treatment plant was old, and that there were "more elegant solutions". They also raised the issue that the document lacked information about the appearance of the boiler room, specific data on the biofilter...
The panel discussion was organized at the Cultural and Information Center (KIC) Zeta in Golubovci and brought together several political actors, including the president of the Zeta municipality. Mihailo Asanović, the leader of the Democratic People's Party (DNP) Milan Knezevic...
Sekulić: I said everything where it was needed
Director of Podgorica Water Supply and Sewerage Aleksandar Nišavić and Čedo Maksimović, while appearing on the TV show "Vijesti" in the "Reflektor" program, mentioned Professor Goran Sekulić, who headed the Commission for the Review of the Wastewater Treatment Plant Project.
Maksimović said that he trusts Sekulić's assessment, and that he "often calls on him to be his consultant."
"... But many things were missed. They weren't finished," he said on the show.
However, Sekulić told a "Vijesti" journalist in a telephone conversation that he did not want to make additional comments, and that he had given his opinion where it was needed.
"Everyone has the right to say what they want," he said briefly.
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