We provide full and unequivocal support to the residents of Donja Ržanica and Kaludra in their justified request to abandon the granting of concessions for the opening of a quarry at the "Gradine" site, announced today the State Secretary at the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development (MERS), Zoran Dabetić.
The MERS statement states that he said this regarding the construction of the "Gradina" quarry in Berane.
"We believe that decisions that directly affect the lives, health and future of people cannot be made without their information, participation and consent. Ržanica and Kaludra are an area of exceptional natural, historical and tourist values. In the immediate vicinity of the planned quarry are the Tumbarice site, Minina pećina, Ćelije Monastery, as well as the clear Kaludarska River, along which ethno-villages and catering facilities are already being developed and planned. These potentials represent the basis for sustainable development, preservation of identity and the retention of the population in their centuries-old hearths," Dabetić emphasized in a statement.
He added that opening a quarry in such an area would mean permanent environmental damage, endangering cultural heritage, and extinguishing the prospects for tourism development, without any real benefit to the local community.
"The nature, history and tradition of this region are not a resource for exploitation, but a valuable heritage that is preserved and passed on to future generations. Therefore, we call on the competent institutions to show responsibility, ensure full transparency and respect the voice of the residents of Donja Ržanica and Kaludra, in the interest of the people, space and long-term development of the entire region," said Dabetić.
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