Councilors against the construction of mini-hydroelectric power plants in Bukeljka and Lazanjka

The ninth regular session of the Rožaje Municipality Assembly was held on June 20, 2019. The session had one item on the agenda and was held, for the first time, at the initiative of the citizens.
A petition signed by about 800 people against the construction of mini hydroelectric power plants on the Bukeljka and Lazanjka rivers was unanimously adopted.

The representative of the initiator, Soko Dacić, at the beginning of the session, said that the residents of the area decided to act institutionally because they have confidence in the state and institutions and that they tried to avoid protests and other forms of opposition to the implementation of the unwanted project.
Councilors from the ruling coalition at the local level (BS, DPS, SD) as well as the representative of the Social Democratic Party, Faruk Agović, were unanimous in their opinion that the possible construction of mini-hydroelectric power plants on the mentioned rivers would bring more harm than good to Rožaj. In their addresses to the citizens, the councilors mentioned the negative socio-economic effects that follow the installation of these facilities.
They cited the devastation of the natural environment and the destruction of biodiversity due to the cutting of watercourses with pipes as the main disadvantage, noting that Bukeljka and Lazanjka are rich in trout and other plant and animal species. The councilors pointed out that the residents of that region use water from the rivers for drinking and irrigating crops as well as for feeding livestock, and that the operation of mini-hydroelectric plants would have a bad effect on their existing living conditions. They agreed that the economic benefit from the operation of those facilities would be minimal and that they would not bring a significant number of jobs. Representatives of the citizens in the local parliament also assessed that such a project would reduce the value of the tourist potential of the town under Hajla, with the conclusion that natural resources should be preserved because with the construction of the cable car and the road to Štedim, Rožaje is entering a period of tourism development.
The municipal Secretariat for Planning, Spatial Planning and Environmental Protection, parliamentary working bodies and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development were also against the construction of mini-hydropower plants.

The mayor of the municipality, Ejup Nurković, also spoke at the session. He stated that the local self-government he heads will never make a decision that does not serve the interests of the community, and that he is cautiously considering any initiative that comes from outside. The first man of the municipality mentioned that the initiative of companies that want to valorize Bukeljka and Lazanjka has been going on for five years and that the local self-government in negotiations with their representatives rejected any offer that was not in the service of the citizens.
After the session, the President of the SO Almir Avdić praised the citizens' initiative to participate in solving issues of collective interest and called on them to actively work in the coming period, through the local parliament, in creating and making important decisions for the community.
Avdić explained that, according to the Rules of Procedure of the SO, if at least three percent of the citizens who make up the electorate initiate an initiative to consider an issue at a session of the local parliament, the president is obliged to convene it.
The conclusion from today's session will be sent to the competent department, in this case the Secretariat for Planning, Spatial Planning and Environmental Protection, which will have a deadline of 60 days to prepare a Proposal for an Act based on the content of the Petition, which will then be directed to the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism for consideration.
For now, it is not known whether the Draft Act will have to go through the parliamentary procedure at the local level.