Is there danger that Kosovo will remain without water

The heat wave is set to include Kosovo. In such cases, when summer season is marked by high temperatures and low rainfall, it may largely result in a drop in water level in the country's accumulated lakes, causing reductions in drinking water supply in some areas.

In the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, which, along with drafting and implementing policies and legislation, is responsible for managing water resources in Kosovo, has provided no details about the state and water reserves in the country.

However, a mirror for the situation has been given to the Kosovo Water Association (SHUKOS), which is the nongovernmental organisation of water companies.

SHUOS Board Chairman Muhamed Sullivan told Radio Free Europe that except the municipality of Gjilan, which has problems with water reserves, in other areas of Kosovo the situation is stable and there is no danger of any imminent crisis of drinking water.

“As far as the state of water resources are concerned, at the moment only Gjilan has affected drought, while Pristina has made the problem of providing drink from Iber-Lepenci. While other Radoniki companies, the southern Hidrogion, Hidrodrin, Bifurkaci, do not have these severe water problems, such as Gjilani”, Sulqi praised.

As he showed that even at Badovci Lake, the water level decreases, according to Sulqi, the Pristina “has the slightest risk, following the factory's construction in Shkabaj”.

The drop in water level at Badovc has confirmed it in the Regional Watery “Pristina”.

The chief executive of this company, Ilir Abdullahu, told Radio Free Europe that except Badovci, there is a slight decline in Batlava. According to him, the <x0); the situation in Batislava is much better, while at Lake Badovci, which, except last year when there was maximum level, the current drop is close to levels compared to the years”.

However, Abdullah estimates that the <x0 is currently stable, with permanent water supply”. But it calls on citizens for savings and poor drinking water.

The construction of the water plant in Shkabyj has contributed to the 24-hour water supply, while also able to manage the drop in levels in Batlava and Badovc so they are not fast. This is good, but we cannot predict how much this wave of drought can go, and when we know both Batlava and Badovci are lakes that depend on rainfall and snow”, Abdullah said.

Meanwhile, due to the significant decline in water levels in Përlepnica Feather, Gjilani has been in a more difficult situation to supply drinking water. After the deteriorating situation, Gjilan chairman Lutfi Haziri has declared an emergency situation in this municipality.

The citizens don't need to worry, but there must be savings. The water was used only for necessary needs and no longer for irrigation of gardens, roads, sidewalks, and autolars”, Haziri had declared the crisis with a lack of drinking water.

Meanwhile, Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, in a Facebook post, said that with authorities responsible in the Government of Kosovo, they are discussing the modalisations of the emergency situation and finding a sustainable solution.

Meanwhile, Muhamed Sulqi, who is also Chief Executive Chief of Waterwork “Hydromoreva” in Gjilan, told Radio Free Europe, that due to the lack of atmospheric rainfall the water level at the Plepnica Feather has dropped to 16 metres, approaching the critical point in just three meters.

The maximum level is 100 feet [30 m], while we are down to 60 feet [16 m], we have fallen under the ordinary state where we are near the critical point of entering into a state of emergency. At the critical point, we enter the 13m water level and up to seven meters of water, we can get water under seven meters, not because it is not the unfathomable water”, Sullivan said.

Perlepnica's feather is the main source of drinking water in Gjilan, along with three smaller sources: Hodge Stone, Banja and wells in Velesca.

From Perpelnica, according to Sulqi, they are supplied with drinking water to about 60 percent of the citizens of the Gjilan municipality, which according to the latest census (2011) has more than 90 thousand inhabitants.

He is concerned by the repetition of drought over the years, and also that the situation could deteriorate during the summer months “due to increased consumption by 30-32 percent from the arrival of fellow countrymen on holiday”.

Otherwise, according to meteorology expert Syla Tahirsylaj, even though this summer will be hotter than that of the previous year, Kosovo's “citizens should not worry, as there will be rainfall at an average level of”.

It turns out that this year will be a little bit hotter than last year, for zero of eight degrees (0.8), that there will be rainfall, that there will be collusion, that will be collusion of liquids with the bottle waters, since the month we leave it behind after a amount of rainfall, has dropped by over 100 liters per square metre. But summer season reduces the levels of irrigation because there is a misuse of water for irrigation fields, flowers, gardens, courtyards, etc., but there is no need to worry citizens, for any territory in our country, because there will be rainfall, and these rainfalls are in the very year-old values of the average”, Tahirsyle noted.

Currently, Kosovo citizens are supplied by several natural and artificial water resources.

The Lake of Weiman (Gazioda) at Zubin Potok, Batallawa in Podujevo, Badovci in Pristina, Radoniki in Gjakova and Perlepnica in Gjilan, along the Drin White River at the Drin Plains of Dukagjini, Ibrit in Mitrovica, the Morave of Binca in Anamorawa, and Lepenc in the south, are some of the main drinking water sources in Kosovo.