The Administrative Court of the First Instance in Tirana will give today (3.11) the decision for the construction of HPPs in Valbona. The request of 27 residents of the Valbona Valley and the "TOKA" Association calls for the suspension of the HPP works that are being built in one of the most beautiful segments of Valbona.
The court should have given the decision on Wednesday afternoon, but it was postponed due to the fact that it could not be given after the official time, at 16:00. In addition to residents, a large number of activists and representatives of environmental organizations were present in the courtroom.
A resident of Valbona who had come to attend the session said: "They want to get the water, but without water is there life!".
In the month of April, inside the National Park of Valbona, the works have started for the construction of one of the two hydropower plants, which plans to tunnel 3 kilometers of the Valbona River, in one of the most beautiful segments untouched by human hands. .
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPCCZksGA0U&w=560&h=315]
Catherine Bohne Selimaj from the "TOKA" association, which together with the residents have sent this case to court, declares that if the works are stopped at this stage, in a very short time the river can repair the damaged part itself. "We have to intervene before it's too late to save this miracle of nature," Catherine told Citizens Channel.
Valbona is a source of income for the residents of the area, thanks to the tourism that this area has, becoming one of the three main tourism destinations in Albania. National Geographic in 2017 announced it as one of the "9 Best Places in the World to Enjoy the Great Outdoors" (The 9 best places in the world for outdoor tourism)
Administrative Court in Tirana in June 2017 dismissed the request of 27 residents of the Valbona Valley and the Association for the Preservation of the Albanian Alps (Shoqata Toka) for the suspension of works for the construction of the HPP in Valbona.
The rejection of the request paves the way for the continuation of the works, started about a year ago by two concession companies, which have received the approval of the Albanian government for the construction of hydropower plants in the Valbona Valley.
Author: Sami Curri
