Muharrem Svarqa supporter of illegal jeep racing in Nerodime

A race of heavy vehicles along the Nerodim River could cost organisers fines of up to 100,000 euros. Organising races in rivers is illegal and responsible for protecting the waters is the Ministry of Environment and municipalities. The Law on Water Protection of the Republic of Kosovo has been violated.

In the Ministry of Environment, they say they were unaware of the organisation of the race, even though competition ads on the Nerodime River had begun much earlier. And Ferizaj's municipality didn't prevent them, but Mayor Muharrem Svarqa has participated in the competition and has been one of the supporters of the race.

The race has been held on Sunday, October 8th, in the village of Nerodime in the Ferizaj municipality. It's organized by “Off Road Kosova-Castriot”.

Chairman Svarqa in his account in “Facebook” had posted several photos showing jeeps inside the river and many citizens along with the mayor typhus.

“Gara with sports jeeps honored us as an institution and as a city and will remain marked in our history as the race that started for the first time from here”, Svarqa wrote on his account.

He even hints that he was part of the organization of this race.

“Basca showed that we can also organise previously unknown competitions and triumph during them. Our support will not be missed in any case when there are good ideas and intentions from every citizen of Ferizaj”, he wrote.

But when he was contacted by the JinK newspaper, Svarqa changed the words. He said he wasn't part of organizing this race.

The “Garats organised with jeeps have not been organised under Ferizaj Community's auspices, but they have only had moral support. We have not analyzed those rules, we do not agree to violate the law, but only to show the sense of those who are worshipers of this”, Svarqa said.

Although the race was organised in time of campaigning, Ferizaj's leader is afraid that this violation will be used in the campaign. Svarqa appealed to the Ministry of Environment to increase inspections across the waters and not take jeep races as a pre- campaign basis.

These competitions are not only organised at Ferizaj. They are also organized in other lands. Economic circulation has increased with this activity, because all participants have spent in our town”, he said.

“club chairman Off Road Kosova” Bashkim Muja has told the JNK that Ferizaj has not supported them financially, but that they have only been invited. He says the race was organised at the club's expense. He is aware that the organized race has a problem with the law.

We're hosting competitions in other countries, and it's the first time we've been having problems with the law. We have personally invited Chairman Muharrem Svarqa to take part in the competition for you from Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, that we have mayor, otherwise we have not taken anything from the town hall”, Muja said.

He says they've come to realize he needs to get permission from the Ministry of Environment.

We haven't fully developed the race in the river, but we've just paraded across the river, the municipality hasn't helped us anything, we've asked permission from the Ferizaj municipality to hold the race, but they've told us to go and ask permission at the ministry. After we have already met the racers, we have not had time to ask for permission at Minister”, Muja said.

The newspaper Life in Kosovo has found that the race on the Nerodime River is prohibited by law. The water protection law says water resources are wealth of general interest and ownership of the Republic of Kosovo that is protected and protected by law, the law provides protection of water resources from pollution, exploitation and misuse.

According to the law, the waters are not the subject of the right to property of physical and legal persons, and in contrast with the legal status of the property in which they are found, are not allowed. Extraction, exploitation, accumulate, change of direction, construction, release, and other water action.

The Ministry of Environment and Space Planning is responsible for protecting the waters, but even municipalities have their legal responsibility for protecting rivers that are in their territorial space.

For the use of rivers in case of any activity not only in municipal competencies, each physical and legal person is obliged to obtain permission from the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning.

“Gazeta JnK” has contacted the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning at the beginning of the week, but they have said the race has been held without the ministry's permission.

Regarding the question that was asked on your part for the activity developed on the Nerodim River, organised by the Ferizaj Community itself, we have not accepted any demands from the Ferizaj municipality organisers, or any other subject for the development of this”, the MMPH Communication Division says.

According to MMPH, in this case it is considered the Ferizaj municipality has violated the Water Law.

Also, we know that this act as such is considered a violation of the No.04 /L. 147 Water Law, respectively. At one time, we find that on the part of the municipality, which has not respected the procedures that are first by law, has passed and the competencies that fall into the domain of its responsibilities”, the ministry's answers are said.

The fine for violations of Article 72 of the Water Protection Law is between 50,000 and 100,000 euros. This article requires that water use require water access to the Ministry of Environment.

And Article 62 specifys the engine washing ban.

“The washing of floating tools, motor vehicles and other equipment is stopped in surface waters and on the shore”, says Article 62.

The Nerodime River springs up on Mount Nerodime. This river is known for its bifurkation phenomenon (bifurkation), the flow of water runs in two directions -- towards the Sitnica River and the Lepenc River, such a sharing of water then flows into the Black Sea and the Aegean Sea. As a phenomenon the world's bifurchions are rare.

In a research the Balkan Network for Investigative Journal B IRN in 2016, the Nerodim River calculated the pride of Ferizaj's city, the mayor Svarqa himself, had promised a special investment in bifurcacion.