Author: Arlis ALIKAJ
Togëzi is one of the villages where the first hydroelectric power plant was built in Librazhd. Situated between 2 hydroelectric power plants, Rrapuni 1 (branch of the Shkumbin River) and Rrapuni 2 (Kuturman, village), the consequences of water withdrawal have created a vital, economic and environmental “desert”. The hydroelectric power plants have transformed the lives of the residents, as well as killing rural development. The construction of hydroelectric power plants in the Librazhd area is destroying the ecosystem of the Shebenik-Jabllanice National Park. Furthermore, they have dried up a branch of the Shkumbin River, leaving the residents of the surrounding villages without any source of clean water.
Suspicious stories, published in the media, about corrupt affairs in the granting of permits for hydropower plants in Librazhd, have changed the way of life. The lack of water in the villages of Librazhdi for the residents is a challenge that is not easily overcome. Hydroelectricity is supposed to be part of the solution for the environment, but it has become part of the problem in Albania. "Hydropower plants were created without proper environmental studies, and they were built in protected areas. Often they are owned by private interests and individuals with strong connections, who are earning a lot from them", says environmental expert Ahmet Mehmeti.
" They took our water. When they want, they release it, when they want, they take it and put it back in the power plant. The Greeks took it from us. The water that comes to us that is drinkable, comes to us from the city. Shame on us who live in Togëz! Historically, Togëz had abundant water. Now the Greeks have taken it from us. Leaving the village without water...! We have no water to irrigate the lands; even if we go out to clean outside the buildings, we cannot clean or we will clean, we will wash and rinse with drinking water and then we will receive salty bills. We risk an epidemic from the dirt," says Lavdie Murraci, a resident of the village of Togëz. The hydroelectric power plant, HEC Rrapuni 3&4 , was built in Togëz, as an investment of the Albanian Orthodox Autocephalous Church in the energy sector. According to a press release from the Orthodox Church, this hydroelectric power plant was built as an initiative and has been under the constant care of Archbishop Janullatos.
C&S Energy sh.pk ., is the company created for the management of the BOT concession contract no. 2854 rep., no. 383 kol dated 11.09.2009. The shareholders are Ekovepra sh.pk ., and C&S Construction sh.pk . Ekovepra is owned by Energija Ekologije sh.pk ., and the latter is owned by the Albanian Orthodox Autocephalous Church. The installed capacity is 9.9 MW and an estimated production of 42.9 GWh. The company has built a 10 m high dam on the Rrapun River with 4 gates and a volume of 60 thousand m³. The created lake collects water from the Qarrishta River, the Lunik Stream and the Gurakuqi Stream and carries it through an underground pipeline directly to the hydroelectric power plant building. The building has 3 Francis turbines , 3.3 MW each, and the company has stated that it has carried out 411.850 m³ of excavation and backfilling. However, according to a study report on water conflicts related to hydropower development in Albania, by the environmental organization EkoAlbania and the Environmental Center in Albania , the Rrapun 3&4 HPP is part of the contested projects and ranked as very weak by CSOs due to the environmental impact it has brought.
"Local actors have referred to a new phenomenon, also witnessed by the expert during field visits, the so-called "land colonization". Concession companies, without any relevant documents or permits, have usurped a large area of territory and land around the hydropower plant components, such as the power plant, the intake works and the pipelines," the report continues.
While Ermir Muça, also a resident of Togëz village, shows us his plot of stones and earth. "There is no water, there is nothing. Everything is dry here. We don't have water for irrigation, it has left our lands barren, as there are no irrigation canals. We cannot cultivate anything. We have no alfalfa for the cattle. There is no question of corn or wheat. It is very difficult. I don't work anymore, I used to do village work. Now we live with my mother's pension. I don't see my children's future here. They have taken away our perspective", adds Ermiri in a low voice.
"Winter problem, summer problem, because there is no water at all. We used to irrigate the canals, when the power plant was not yet built, now the bulldozer has come in. We have lost all that land down there, in the fields. The government has made a big mistake that has increased our poverty. We have nowhere to irrigate, neither alfalfa nor corn. They had to be irrigated when the crops needed water. We have not worked the land all these years, you son of a bitch! Gjynah, we are a village without a village!" - concludes Fiqirete Çota, who is irrigating a small plot in the garden of her house with drinking water from Librazhd.
Meanwhile, as a result of the works at that time, when an army of workers and heavy machinery was working on the HEC construction infrastructure, the bridge that connects several neighborhoods of Togëz village with the road to Librazhd was damaged. Many residents complain and fear for the safety of their children's health, when they go to school or for themselves and their daily chores, while they say that there has been no adjustment by the company except for partial repairs.
" They have cracked our houses and damaged our bridge, we are so afraid when we pass by every day. From the mines they laid, when they opened tunnels, they damaged our houses. Only a few workers from the village, who had a conversation with the Greek supervisors, received money, from 100 to 300 thousand old lek. The rest of us were lied to and did not receive any lek for our houses. We were forced to, we painted and repaired them ourselves. Every time summer comes, we as a village will go to the municipality and fight with the mayor about the water that they have put in our pipes. Some come, some don't come, some leave the canal, some don't leave the canal, this is the biggest problem we have, the water. They put it in the tunnel", - says the farmer of the area, Shyqyri Çota.
The Albanian Center for Quality Journalism inquired with the Municipality of Librazhd, where we were told over the phone that these permits are in discord of powers and were granted before 2013, and that the control of the implementation of permits by HPPs is not the competence of the municipality, but of the National Inspectorate of Territorial Protection, IKMT.
Environmental organizations: Construction of HPPs, without studying the future consequences
Environmental expert from the Ecological Club , Elbasan, Ahmet Mehmeti, said that these are flagrant actions by people who do not know environmental laws and are destroying the future of all of Albania. “The economic consequences of these HPPs for the local community are irreversible.
"It's about hydropower construction, which in the first place shows that it is clean energy and on the right track. So, hydropower plants are being built in places that meet the conditions and have income. However, always, when a hydropower plant is built, the social, economic, cultural and traditional consequences in the community where it is being built must be taken into account. These HPPs have not been consulted and the public has not been asked ," says Ahmeti.
Enxhi Albrahimi, an environmental engineer from the Environmental Center for Studies and Applications , an environmental organization in Librazhd, adds that previously there was talk of damage to flora and fauna, but now people's lives are being harmed, causing irreparable consequences.
While Leonard Alliu, an environmental activist with the Initiative for the Protection of the Shkumbin River , explains that, although forums and lobbying activities have been held to raise awareness, when it comes to making money, no one takes these awareness campaigns into account. “Many young people, students, want to leave these villages and never return, but the thing is that they have nowhere to go, as they feel like they are betraying their traditions and cannot abandon their families,” said Leonardi.
In Librazhd there are a total of 130 contracts for HPP construction. If the contracts were implemented as written, two things would be certain: first, the environment would be preserved, and second, the residents would not want to leave the city.
In this article we listed the reactions of civil society, the voice of experts, the lack of intervention by the authorities. But, Artani, the 24-year-old from Marinaj, who was passionate about agriculture, comes to mind. He did not dream of becoming part of the Dream Team , nor of joining any party, but sought his future outside the village. “The water that nature and God have given us, they took away from us. And without water, you cannot irrigate the land nor “water” your dreams ,” – were his words.
