Environment Energy Mining Watch SEE|News|Locals are trying to defend the Komarnica canyon in Montenegro from the construction of a hydro-power plant

Locals are trying to defend the Komarnica canyon in Montenegro from the construction of a hydro-power plant

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The river Komarnica is a torrent river, the devastation of the forest complex destroys the protector of torrent waters, so that in some future times, if the river comes, the houses of the locals of that area would be endangered.

Regarding the estimate that the construction of HPP Komarnica will create conditions for the creation of 100 new jobs in the power plant itself, and during the construction itself in certain periods will employ up to a thousand people, it is best to look at the situation in Piva and see how many benefits the hydro-power plant there has brought them.

The president of the Association of Young Environmentalists Nikšić, Miodrag Karadžić, said that the Komarnica canyon together with the Nevidio canyon is one of the most beautiful canyons in Europe and that any construction project would mean permanent devastation of that terrain.

The day before the 55th anniversary of the passage of 11 mountaineers “Javorka” through the Nevidio canyon, representatives of the non-governmental sector and some locals from the Savnica area, on the bridge over the canyon, organized a press conference on the planned construction of HPP Komarnica.

“As Stevo Vujacic, one of the three living participants in that event, told me, the Nevidio canyon is not only a Montenegrin, but also a world tourist attraction, and by endangering the canyon itself, we do not know why we exist. The locals of my village Komarnice and the surrounding ones will stand in defense of such a jewel “, said Velizar Kasalica on behalf of the locals.

“I don’t have to say anything. Ask the people from Piva how many people are employed and what are the benefits of Piva Lake. If it was such a benefit, then Plužine would be Las Vegas, it wouldn’t look like that. Those hundred people they promise will probably be employed at the Nature Park that is here. When you point out to them the irregularities that are in this part of the Nature Park, they immediately say you are against Montenegro. Well, I love Montenegro more than all of them together and I will not give them Komarnica, Dragišnica, not a single meter of this natural beauty, this unreal Montenegrin beauty “, said Kasalica.

When asked by journalists where they were when the public debate on HPPs took place, Kasalica said that they “defended the properties from the transmission line”.

“While the public debate was going on, four transmission lines were placed above the Nevidio canyon. If it is built, God forbid HPP Komarnica, it will be another 44, and then it will not be a greeting from the Nevidio canyon, but a greeting from the transmission line. This is just the beginning of the chaos they created, and I defended my property from the power lines that crossed it for a month and a half. Every meadow has been damaged, all the property around the houses “, said Kasalica.

Darko Stijepović, from the NGO “Center for Development of Durmitor”, called on everyone to study the World Bank study on the harmfulness of the construction of large hydropower plants, which was done ten years ago.

“Neither the World Bank nor the IMF is financing large dams anymore, because the harmful effects of dams have proven to be far greater than the benefits they bring to anyone. The benefit is only to investors who earn huge sums of money on the use of loans and social funds, and in this case we also have the use of the invaluable value of the canyon, which they receive completely free of charge, regardless of what we can use it for. When we put it on paper, we can use it much better and earn much more, especially the people of Montenegro and the people of this region, than they will get from the sale of electricity. We will not get that electricity for free.

That electricity is sold the same as if we were buying it from Tanzania. We will have to pay for it, so we have no benefit from that, “Stijepović said.

The president of the Association of Young Environmentalists Nikšić, Miodrag Karadžić, said that the Komarnica canyon together with the Nevidio canyon is one of the most beautiful canyons in Europe and that any construction project would mean permanent devastation of that terrain.

“The construction of a hydroelectric power plant would have consequences for the living world, as well as for the geography of the terrain, and it would lead to certain climate changes.” By observing the temperature curve in the area of ​​Duritor, we can conclude that in the last 30 years, the average annual temperature in this area has increased by more than two degrees, and the lake would contribute to a further increase. On the other hand, knowing the terrain and dealing with the documents where the lake is planned, we come to the conclusion that the terrain is not suitable from the geological point of view. The terrain has a large number of pits, sinkholes, depressions, some documents state the process of the oak, where it is not clear how much water will be lost and where that water goes. There are several other smaller crevices where water will be lost uncontrollably. “Montenegro does not need another sinkhole dam and water loss,” Karadzic pointed out.

As he emphasized, the canyon should not be viewed from the aspect of electricity production, but as a pledge for the future.

“These are clean mountain rivers, a mountain environment that can be valorized much better and where the local population will benefit much more from the construction of a hydroelectric power plant,” Karadzic said.

As they said, they will organize one event every week in Savnik, Niksic, Zabljak and Pluzine, in order to acquaint the people, as they said, with the controversies of the project, so that they can see whose side the people will be on.

What is the real value of the project?

 

Kasalica stated that the site of renewable energy sources, which is under the control of the Ministry of Economy, states that the future hydroelectric power plant will cost 134 million euros, that the president of the board of directors of EPCG claims that it is 300 million, in the detailed urban plan from 2014. the amount of 172 million, in the unique list of priority projects 185 million, and in the detailed spatial plan from this year, not two different pages have different figures – 246 million and between 260 and 270 million.

“Please find me a mathematician who will calculate the real price and whether it is profitable for Montenegro,” Kasalica said.

EPCG: HPP will not endanger the canyon

 

The HPP construction project, with an installed capacity of 172 MW with a total annual production of 213 GWh, is estimated at around 246.5m euros. According to Rajko Šebek, from Elektroprivreda, even before the fact that it will affect the reduction of production, the authorities in the Government and EPCG, made a decision on a lower dam level so as not to endanger the Nevidio canyon in any way.

“This plan will not endanger the fundamental natural values, especially the Dragišnjica and Komarnica Regional Park and the Nevidio canyon. The most important habitats of the Regional Park are above 811m above sea level, and the use of the Nevidio canyon and its natural values ​​will not be endangered “, said Šebek and added that even the smallest impacts are listed in the Strategic Environmental Assessment, as well as in the Plan, with detailed explanation.

He pointed out that the Study for the Regional Strategy for Sustainable Hydropower in the Western Balkans (WBIF), supported by the European Commission, classifies HPP Komarnica as an environmentally friendly “greenfield” project.

“When it comes to employment, we are talking about a thousand workers during the four-year construction, and on the other hand, the work of about 100 to 150 employees is expected during the operation of the hydroelectric power plant itself. The plan affirms the development of tourism and envisages the realization in accordance with the adopted PUPs of the municipalities, with the expectation that the realization of this infrastructure facility will start a faster realization of everything that is foreseen by the local planning documents “, concluded Šebek.

Source: vijesti.me

 

 

 

 

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