Protest in Gjakova, police suspend the work of building the stonebreaker

Residents of the village of Kusar in Gjakova and surrounding villages today again took to the streets, demanding that the stonebreaker stop building in this area because, according to them, this is a priority area for protecting nature with the development plan of the Gjakova municipality.

During the protests, there were also times of tension. Residents demanded the removal of machine workers while no verbal confrontations were missing.

This prompted police to increase their ranks and the place where the protests were held to come to the commander of the Gjakova Police Station, Major Christa Gjokaj.

One of the company shareholders, Major Gjokaj, communicated the decision to immediately cease the work due to security, and they will resume only after a solution is found between the company and residents.

Because of this situation that has been created today, you have to temporarily suspend work, it takes 24 hours, for security issues. These are going to be distributed immediately, leaving cars stuck here and we're making a” tape, Gjokaj said.

Meanwhile, residents claimed that despite protests, complaints and paperwork directed at the Gjakova municipality and the Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning has not yet been undertaken in order to stop the job.

According to them, the area where it's trying to become the cornerstone, in the Municipal Development Plan is “mountain space area with a priority for protecting nature, reforestation and recreation”, where the old cemetery called “the Krushqive cemetery” is also found in the midst of the Kussar Cave complex that are the protected Monuments of Nature and the area proposed as the National Park of the Plain Mountain.

Prenk Domgjoni, a resident of this area, expressed indignation at the institutional ignoring of residents at the moment when it was designed to assess environmental impact, for according to him, residents should also legally say their word when environmental consent is given.

“We're here to protect the environment, nature, people who love nature are not violent. We've come here once again with the institutions that have given illegal environmental consent, have given environmental consent against the Gjakova municipal development plan. In Gjakova's municipal development plan, this area is a priority for protecting nature. The stonebreaker doesn't protect nature, so it's contrary to plan. Environmental consent has also been given without including local residents. With laws in effect in Kosovo, residents of the area must be involved in drafting the environmental impact assessment”, Domgjoni said.

Another local resident, Pashk Simon, said that for this area there are other plans and that there are three historical monuments that will not allow them to destroy.

“A teaches the Government of Kosovo that this is a very suitable place, here the Nelt has to be done lung hospital, we have three historical monuments of the Kusar cave for centuries, the Cux cave, the Novak cave, whatever you want to do. These guys came here to invest... protest his request and we don't allow any of this”, he said.

In a response to media during the day, company “Alcohol-H&S” that wants to build the stonebreaker has said it is equipped with all the documentation needed to develop the activity.

“Based on the laws and legislation in force, respecting all relevant standards and criteria, our company has applied for the construction of the stonebreaker to competent organs, a framework of law and has been equipped with all the documentation needed to start the Seger” activity, said in response.

Also, this company says that all legislative procedures and criteria in power have so far been respected, and for that the evidence of municipal and central inspectors is.

The “For their implementation time and time have been in the workshop to verify, even inspectors from the local and central level, who, with their processes, have presented no remarks. There is no record of damage to the cemetery and cave”, the company's reaction concluded.