The Dry Lake area, once considered a space that offered peace, greenery and clean air, is increasingly being turned into a nonstop construction site.
According to residents, the problems have worsened significantly in recent months due to the increase in construction activity. They say the constant movement of heavy-duty vehicles, from the early morning hours until late afternoon, has brought not only road blockages, but also high air pollution, dust and nonstop noise.
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“We can’t get out on time for work or take the children to school. The road is constantly blocked by trucks and heavy machinery,” says one local resident, who has lived for years in the neighborhood known as Dry Lake.
Another resident says the reason she had chosen to live there was precisely because of the clean air, but today the situation, according to her, has changed completely. “We bought a house here because we thought we would have some clean air. Today, that is exactly what we no longer have. Dust is everywhere. We can’t keep the windows open and the children can’t play outside as they used to,” she says.
For residents, the concern is not limited only to the construction itself, but also to the way it is being carried out. They are raising the alarm over the disappearance of green spaces and the damage to the natural landscape of this area.
“They cut down and uprooted the olive trees. Where there was greenery, now there is only dirt, machinery and trucks. Heavy-duty machinery operates without set hours and the noise continues all day,” says another resident.
According to them, Dry Lake is gradually losing the profile that made it one of the most sought-after residential areas in Tirana. For years, this neighborhood was presented as an alternative far from the pollution and noise of the capital, but residents say the picture today is completely different.
“We can no longer find peace. Every day there is dust, traffic and noise. Our lives have turned dark,” says a woman who lives near one of the construction sites.
At the same time, questions about how this situation is being managed by the responsible institutions remain unanswered. For this reason, Ekofin.al has officially approached the Municipality of Tirana with a request for information, to understand what measures are being taken to control the movement of heavy-duty vehicles, ensure the normal circulation of residents and determine movement schedules in urban areas.
Until there are official and full responses from the Municipality of Tirana and the relevant authorities, residents are calling for urgent measures to restore normality in the neighborhood, which they say is facing every day the consequences of uncontrolled urban development.
Ekofin.al also draws attention to residents’ concerns over the fact that one of the projects that has already begun implementation includes the construction of 15 apartment buildings, 9 stories high, by leveling hills covered with olive groves.
The area where these constructions are planned extends over around 31 thousand square meters, while the project in total includes 94 thousand square meters of construction above and below ground.
It is precisely these figures, according to residents, that make the situation even more alarming, as they say that not only have they lost their peace and are facing difficulties every day, but they are also losing the main reason why they invested to live in that area.
