The combination of solar and wind parks would produce twice as much energy as the construction of a hydroelectric plant on the Komarnica River, it was announced at the forum "Save Komarnica" held in the multimedia hall of the Cultural Information Center in Podgorica.
Biologist Vuk Iković announced that representatives of UNESCO proposed to the Government of Montenegro that the area be protected.
Andrijana Mićunović, also a biologist, said that she was pleased with the large response of citizens at the public forum, because only two years ago very few citizens were interested in that project.
"The river belongs to all of us, it does not belong only to Šavnik, only to Plužine, and today we are here to try to answer you why it is important to preserve Komarnica," she said.
Her colleague Jelena Popović said that at the forum in Šavnik there were those who were outvoted for the protection of Komarnica, which is why, as she said, she is happy with the number of citizens who are in the KIC hall today.
The hall of the KIC, where the forum is held, is full, and interested citizens also filled the corridor.
"I am asking you to all give a voice to the Komarnica river and put a stop sign on this project that is based on incomplete facts," she said.
Mechanical engineer Denis Hot assessed that HPP Komarnica should not be built, reminding Elektroprivreda not to inform citizens who are basically the owners of all state enterprises, including this one, about the projects.
"As an engineer, if I thought the project was sustainable and interesting, I would be in favor, but it's not," he said.
Answering a citizen's question about how much damage would be caused to the Komarnica canyon, Jelena Popović said that it would be completely devastated.
"Canyons are not deserts... on the contrary, they are complex mosaics of ecosystems of which many ecological units are endemic," she said.
She said that UNESCO recognized that area as extremely important and that they requested that the area of Komarnica be added to the protected area of Durmitor.
"It is completely unclear to me, and I think to all of you, why the Municipality of Savnik refused it," she said.
Hot said that for the construction of the Komarnica, the profession should have been asked first, then the ecologists, but that everything went in the wrong order, and that more than a million had already been spent on the project.
One of the citizens also asked whether, considering the low water level, Komarnica could serve the hydroelectric power plant during the summer months.
Iković replied that there is a crack in the immediate vicinity of the planned dam and that this problem is unsolvable.
"For this reason, we have the need to doubt the project... This information is not included anywhere in the environmental impact study," said Iković. He explained that experts in the field of energy claim that the works will certainly last for ten years and that, with the probable breach of the deadline, they would only have the first kilowatt produced in 2033. He emphasized that the construction of that HPP is planned with Serbia, and that Montenegro is giving the entire river for it.
Iković also pointed out that Komarnica, like all similar rivers, can give more to citizens if they are free.
"Durmitor is a brand of Montenegro and the world, and Komarnica can be a part of it," he said.
Speaking about how much HE Piva has "developed" Plužine, Iković said that there is not even a single regular bus line between Podgorica - Plužine or Nikšić - Plužine, and that there is not a single electrical engineer from Šavnik and Plužine on the records of the Employment Agency. so those who would work at HPP Komarnica would also come from Nikšić or Podgorica.
Citizen activist Aleksandar Dragićević asked if anyone had taken climate change into account.
"At the public hearing in Šavnik, we heard that HPP Komarnica will reduce climate change. That's what the management of EPCG said," Iković replied.
"A canyon like Komarnica still inspires admiration among various scientists," Mićunović said.
She said that it is important to note that the biodiversity of Komarnica has never been thoroughly researched.
"So that certain groups of organisms, such as bats, were not taken into account at all... Quite often during the duration of this project, we heard the opinion of the proponents of the construction that there is nothing in Komarnica... The first habitat that would be the most disturbed is the limestone rocks where a large number of endemic plants live... Those habitats would be the most endangered," Mićunović explained.
She also explained which plant and animal species are recorded in the Komarnica basin, and that some of them are protected.
"By submerging one such canyon and one such ecosystem due to obtaining a small percentage of electricity, the whole that they would pay for is too big," she said.
They confirmed that the project will cost around 300.000.000 euros, that the canyon and its environmental value will be completely devastated, that the construction will last seven years, said Iković, recounting the conclusions from the public hearings organized by EPCG.
"They didn't explain to us how the problem of cracks will be regulated...how come the planned HPP Piva was planned for 74 cubic meters per second, and in the end it was less, nor whether the same will happen with HPP Komarnica," he said.
He said this in response to a question from a hydraulic engineer in the audience.
"The goal of us hydrotechnicians is to keep the water, because there is one definition - you can't stop the water, you can keep it," said Vuković, who joined the discussion.
He pointed out that two questions must be answered, one of which is economic profitability.
He said that he has to deal with exact data, and that he doesn't have it now.
"I, together with certain colleagues, discussed and made technical solutions for the Komarnica watershed. There are 32 reservoirs planned there, we retain that water and bring it to Komarnica," he said, adding that practically new Plitvice Lakes are being created with these solutions.
Hot replied that he was glad that Vuković, as someone from the profession, joined the discussion.
"My question as a citizen is why we don't have four years of measurements now, they already have hydrological data obtained based on a theory in which the data is wrong... The whole story of EPCG, which is owned by all citizens, is completely frivolous. If I, as a citizen, who pays dearly for them to do their work, I have time to do research, then they must have it too. They are using data from the SFRY era," said Hot in response to Vuković.
Iković said that they have been asking EPCG for a conceptual design for two years, and for a year already the contract they signed with Elektroprivreda Srbije in 1992.
"They didn't deliver any to us, even though we paid for it. I'm sure that more than two million euros have been spent on the preparation of documentation so far," said Iković.
The Director of the Center for Investigative Journalism, Milka Tadić Mijović, said that this is only one of a series of projects offered in this area, only now it is Komarnica's turn.
"We stopped Tara, it turned out that Morača was not justified economically. It is obvious that Komarnica is also a story from some ancient times. I am interested in how it is possible for such a big story to take place in dark corridors, behind curtains. What should we all do to the public will be involved and the advantages and disadvantages of this project will be presented," she asked.
"I repeat, the impression and impact of such a move on the territory of Montenegro would be so great that the changes would be permanent," Niković said.
Milan Niković said that there are numerous alternative sources that can replace the energy planned by obtaining the construction of HPP Komarnica.
He said that EPCG is hiding the fact that there is no substation to which HPP Komarnica could be connected.
He pointed out that solar panel technology has advanced so much that there is much less pollution.
"The damage that would be caused to the environment would be immeasurable. This space was given to us by our ancestors, and it will remain to our descendants... In the future, some new renewable energy sources will appear, all the buildings we build now will be permanent," said Niković.
Velizar Kasalica from Komarnica, president of the Committee for the Protection of Dragišnica, said that he is very interested in this issue.
"Listening to the gentlemen from EPCG who promise that honey and milk will flow for us... One year I passed through Plužine and I couldn't cross the dam for four hours because of tourists who were taking pictures on the dam. I counted 75 buses, I couldn't count anymore. I was amazed when I saw so many people from Pivlja lying down, and people from EPCG pouring money on them... I was delighted when I saw the marina for yachts... So I came to ask if we from Komarnica could sell cows and tractors , and let's buy boats," Kasalica said.
Rako Nikčević, president of the NGO Zeleni Crne Gore, said that he believes that the intention of those defending Komarnica is pure. "When it comes to this here, wise people say ignorance is the most expensive, knowledge is the cheapest," he said.
However, he assessed that there must be an interdisciplinary approach to the problem.
Nikčević, as the president of the NGO Zeleni Crne Gore, supported the construction of hydropower plants.
"The small hydropower plants should all be cut in half and the rivers should be freed," said one of the participants, stating that the limit must be known.
The youngest participant in the forum, a boy from Krnja Jela, asked what impact the construction of the Komarnica hydroelectric power plant and the submergence of the canyon would have on the development of his town.
"The bottom line is that the citizens of Montenegro understand that this is their responsibility, and I will say their face. If we had 30.000 people here today, we could put pressure on them," said a participant from the construction sector.
She called on all citizens to understand that it depends on them and that it concerns them all.
"These kinds of decisions and these kinds of projects can irreversibly destroy something that is extremely valuable," she said.
Mirjana, who says that she grew up and was educated in Šavnik, pointed out that in the report it is written that the noise will exceed 100 decibels.
She asked how it would affect the animal world.
She invited all Uskoks and Drobnjaks to stand in the protection of Komarnica. An elderly resident of Savnik said that he came to defend Komarica, so that he would not be "ashamed in front of his grandchildren if EPCG succeeds in its plan to build a wind power plant".
The participants, answering the questions of the interested public, concluded that Komarnica should be left in its place, regret the two million euros spent so far, and turn to solar energy.
Niković said that there are alternative solutions, stating that EPCG does not have a department for risk analysis or any employee who deals with it.
"Montenegro has enough energy at the moment, we don't need this project," NIković said.
"As much as we could produce solar energy... we can sell it on the surrounding and European markets. It can also be stored," Niković explained.
Iković explained that since the construction of HPP Piva, the number of earthquakes in the area has increased.
He said that last year, 3.200 people passed through the Nevidio canyon, and that more money was collected from that collection than Šavnik would have received from the concession.
He also explained what effect even a mild earthquake would have in the Nevidio Canyon.
Iković also pointed out that the Komarnica HPP construction project did not preserve that canyon because of its value, but because if they had planned that part as well, they would have had to pay a larger expropriation fee.
"If that HPP were to be built, people from Savnik would have to go to work via Plužine. No one mentioned that," said Iković.
Iković also pointed out that the public debate lasts until March 25, and that everyone can ask questions, express ambiguities or offer alternative solutions to those from EPCG working on that project.
Responding to the citizens, he also said that EPCG did not provide them with any answer or document, which they requested based on the request for free access to information.
"These are projects with which we eat our own children," said Ikovic.
One of the locals asked if they were destroying the tributary of Komarnica, the river Pridovorica.
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