Tara's Burying Reaches Prosecutor: "In a 'normal' country, someone would go to prison for this kind of vandalism"

The non-governmental organization (NGO) Breznica intends to file criminal charges for the "complete devastation of the area and the Tara River" during the rehabilitation of a slope in the village of Sokolovina, on the Mojkovac - Đurđevića Tara main road.

Milorad Mitrovic The NGO is announcing criminal charges against the contractors and subcontractors for the damage they caused, and against the Public Company for National Parks (JPNPCG) for its silence.

The JPNPCG told "Vijesti" that during 2024 and 2025, rock collapses and blasting above the Mojkovac - Đurđevića Tara road were recorded several times at the Sokolovina site, with part of the rock material ending up in the bed of the "tear of Europe".

They claim, however, that they were not silent about it, but that for two years they "continuously warned the authorities" about the threat to the Tara River, which is, among other things, under UNESCO protection, but also part of the Durmitor National Park.

From the responses submitted to "Vijesti", it is clear that the works were prohibited, but that they continued anyway, despite the fact that it was unequivocally established that part of the mined rocks ended up in the Tara riverbed...

Mitrović warns that damage to the area and the river is occurring continuously, and as the works continue, he explains, the devastation will continue. He reminds that the works are being carried out without proper analyses:

"First, a study should have been done to assess the impact of the project on the environment, then a study to assess the safety of the works, then the risks... No one is writing about this, most environmental organizations are silent, as are ministers and all institutions, and it is all happening at the very beginning of one of the deepest canyons in the world. The Tara River and its canyon are protected by the strictest forms of protection that exist. Let me remind you, the Tara River Canyon is the second deepest in the world, behind the Colorado Canyon... In a 'normal' country, someone would go to prison for this kind of vandalism," Mitrović points out.

More than two years after the start of the works, worth 10 million euros, the landslide in Sokoloviina has not been resolved. The Mojkovac - Đurđevića Tara road was blocked for several days at the beginning of the year due to a landslide, after having been opened just a few days earlier...

Video: NGO Breznica

The contractor is once again working intensively on the renovation and, as announced, by the time the project is fully completed, it is planned to extend the gallery by about 20 meters, pave part of the road and install protective fences. According to media reports, during the works, 10 thousand cubic meters of concrete, about two million kilograms of reinforcement and about 200 thousand cubic meters of stone excavation were carried out...

Mitrović states that solutions should have been sought that would not have such disastrous consequences for the environment. He believes that a tunnel should have been built, which, he claims, would not have endangered the protected zone, and he also estimates that such a project would have been safer.

The JPNPCG claims that they were not silent and that they continuously informed the authorities about the mining, dumping of materials and changes in the terrain that "endangered Tara".

The Traffic Administration, which is the investor of the works in Sokolino, did not respond to "Vijesti"'s numerous questions regarding the impact of the project on the environment. As they explained, all employees involved in the implementation and supervision of the project are currently on vacation.

"We thank you for your questions and interest in the topic of works at the Sokolovina site. Given that colleagues who are directly involved in the implementation and supervision of this project are currently absent (on vacation), we are currently unable to fully prepare all the requested information. We will provide the requested answers as soon as all relevant information is collected," the Administration responded.

The crusher was not put into operation after the intervention of Durmitor National Park and locals

In their response to "Vijesti", the JPNPCG stated that "they do not have the authority to issue permits or approvals, but within the scope of their activities, the company has the opportunity to provide opinions and comments", and that the Environmental Protection Agency gives consent for the performance of all activities and actions in protected areas.

"During the execution of works on the Đurđevića Tara - Mojkovac road, the Durmitor NP Protection Service continuously monitored the area and works at the Sokolovica location, which are being implemented in the second protection zone, and took all measures and actions within its jurisdiction regarding works in this protected area. On November 23, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency issued a decision approving the Non-Hazardous Construction Waste Management Plan of the company 'Intermost' doo Podgorica, which relates to certain quantities of concrete, soil and stone," the responses from the JPNPCG state agency say.

In early December, they claim, the contractor installed a stone crusher on private property, "but due to the intervention of the Durmitor National Park and the locals, the crusher was not put into operation."

"Representatives of the contractor, the company 'Intermost', provided NP Durmitor with documentation, which contained the decision of the Traffic Administration for the rehabilitation of the critical point of Sokolina in the form of the construction of an access road, issued by the Environmental Protection Agency. Also, the Waste Management Plan - approval of the Environmental Protection Agency. The contractor also has a construction application, a contract for the execution of works with the Traffic Administration, and supervision was carried out by the company Construction Supervision and Laboratory AD Podgorica," explain the JPNPCG.

Serious shortcomings in documentation

The company says that on February 9, 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency informed the JPNPCG that the company "Intermost" had submitted a request for a decision on the need to prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment Study for the project of crushing rock material resulting from the reconstruction of the Đurđevića Tara - Mojkovac main road.

JPNPCG, they claim, has requested that an Environmental Impact Assessment Report be prepared for the rock crushing project. They point out that the documentation has serious shortcomings, including the fact that it does not state that Durmitor National Park is a UNESCO site. They also raise concerns about the possible impact on water, the environment, noise, ecosystems, the geological environment, land use, protected natural and cultural assets, and the landscape. They also assess that neither the direct nor indirect impacts of the project on flora and fauna have been adequately presented, nor have measures for their protection been proposed.

They explain that the Durmitor NP Protection Service continuously recorded activities and informed the competent institutions about mining, material dumping and terrain changes that endangered the Tara River. Despite reports and prohibitions, the works have not been completely stopped, and the material ended up in the riverbed during subsequent works.

"We emphasize that, according to the minutes and the report of the Durmitor National Park, the JPNPCG submitted a report in early December 2024 to the Environmental Inspection of the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development, stating that regular field inspections established that in the village of Sokolovina, rock material is collapsing and falling into the Tara River bed, in order to take actions within the jurisdiction of the Environmental Inspection. In early February 2025, the contractor was blasting rocks above the asphalt road. Due to a large detonation, rocks collapsed, part of which flew over the asphalt road into the Tara River bed, and the remaining part remained on the asphalt road," they say in the JPNPCG.

The environmental inspection banned the works

On February 3rd of last year, supervisors of the Durmitor NP Protection Service "registered three construction machines that were dumping rock masses above the asphalt road, and part of that material ended up in the Tara Riverbed". According to the JPNPCG, the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Development of the North, the Ecological Inspection and the Environmental Protection Agency were informed about all of this. The Durmitor NP Protection Service registered that rock blasting had been carried out above the asphalt road at the Sokolovinea site six days later.

"Following the reports, the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development informed NP Durmitor by letter that the environmental inspector had carried out an inspection, after which the environmental inspection issued a decision prohibiting the execution of works during which non-hazardous construction waste was generated and disposed of in the Durmitor NP zone, until approval for the Waste Management Plan was obtained from the competent authority. Even after the ban on further execution of works, the execution of works continued, so NP informed the Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Northern Development, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Environmental Inspection, the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management - Water Management Inspection", they remind from JPNPCG.

They claim that on March 14, 2025, “illegal mining activity was carried out again above the main asphalt road in the town of Sokolovica”. At the end of March, at the same location, due to heavy rains, rock material collapsed, and a few days later, the contractor “mined the rock masses, which buried the asphalt road”.

"During the work of the machines and excavators of the company 'Intermost' on April 5, 2025, which were clearing, loading and transporting the collapsed rock masses, a large part of the material fell from the main asphalt road to the very edge of the Tara River, which resulted in a visible change in the terrain. The NP informed the competent authorities about everything so that they could take action within their jurisdiction. At the site where the works are being carried out, on December 19 last year, the company brought soil and stone material from a temporary landfill by truck. After the material was brought in, the gallery was lined and on that occasion a large part of the material was dumped into the Tara River bed. All competent authorities have been informed about the same," claim the JPNPCG.