Residents of the villages of Koçaj, Dragu and Kodra e Danit, in the Fushë-Bulqizë Administrative Unit, gathered today in front of the municipality to oppose the construction of a hydroelectric power plant (HPP).
They entered the hall where the municipal council meeting was taking place, where the allocation of a plot of land for the construction of the hydroelectric power plant was expected to be discussed. However, according to the municipality, the issue was not part of the agenda, as it had not been previously approved.
"They set out three or four times, not the mountain, not the trees... Now the work has gone to the point where it can no longer be sustained, drying up three villages. It is a stream, but it will gather all the waters in one place and the one who will take it will become rich", Elez Dedja, a resident of the area, told Citizens.al.
After seeing the residents enter the hall, the mayor, Festime Mjeshtri, left the meeting and went into her office, followed by the residents. She then agreed to meet with a representative from them.
"They're building a power plant there to take our water, to take our soul, to take everything from us," said Mirgjela Mera, another resident, as she waited outside the mayor's door along with dozens of other residents. According to her, if their water is taken away, they will no longer be able to live in the village.
Ahmet Bushi, also a resident, expressed the same opinion, emphasizing that they will do their best to prevent the construction of the hydroelectric power plant.
"Without water, without electricity, without roads, there is no life. The water is taken from my village, from my house in the village. The stream is called Shytaj and the waters are collected below," Bush said.
According to Seit Hoti, if the water is taken for the hydroelectric power plant, the residents will be forced to relocate. He emphasizes that the project did not involve any consultation with the residents.
“[The investor]… will present it here to the municipal council, to make the council’s decision, but we have received the information and we do not accept it. That is why we came here today,” he said.
Nadire Dedaj, an elderly resident, said that opposition to the project has been going on for years. She said that the area had gone through a similar situation with protests in 2019 and managed to protect the water.
"No trucks or other vehicles can be brought in there. Even if the signatures are given from Tirana or from these people here, they can't enter there. Let them have that word cut out," she emphasized to Citizens.al.
After the meeting with the mayor ended, the residents said that she expressed that she would support their position if the demands turned out to be fair.
"The mayor was aware and said she expected this reaction," Ismet Koka told Citizens.al after leaving the meeting.
"In the end, he gave us an 'ok' and said he will be with the residents if he is right. If he is not, then other measures will be taken.". "
Earlier, residents also submitted a petition with around 350 signatures against the construction of the "Shytaj" HPP.
They demand that any decision on the construction of the hydroelectric power plant be made only after the publication of the Environmental Impact Assessment report and after holding public hearings in the affected villages, regarding the impact on water resources and the forest massif.
The project for the construction of the "Shytaj" hydroelectric power plant began in 2019, but failed to be approved by the municipal council due to opposition from residents.
At the time, residents stated that no public consultations had been held with the community.
In 2024, the National Territorial Council decided to conditionally approve the construction permit for the "Shytaj" HPP, with the obligation to complete the technical-legal documentation and pay the infrastructure impact tax.
According to the construction permit, the construction company is "ERIM" sh.pk, owned by the Shyti family, with shareholders Adhurim Shyti, Ervin Shyti and Arbër Shyti.
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Erisa Kryeziu has completed higher studies in Journalism and Communication and Master of Science in Public Relations at the University of Tirana. She has been a journalist and project manager at Citizens.al for five years, where she reports on social issues and human rights, especially on issues of rights at work, in education, gender equality, marginalized groups, people with disabilities such as and for environmental issues. At the same time, she works as a project coordinator with a focus on youth and media education. User of new reporting techniques such as "Mobile Journalism" and citizen engagement tools in reporting (ECR-Engage Citizens Journalism).
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