Three weeks after work began on the Mërtur River in Tropojë to build three mountain barriers and divert its flow, around 300 residents of the Nikaj-Mërtur area, accompanied by environmental activists, staged a protest against the project of the Albanian Power Corporation, which they consider lacking in transparency. According to them, implementation began without any consultation with the community and without any sign indicating the nature of the interventions.
During these three weeks, excavators have opened more than 1 km of the Mërtur River bed. For this reason, environmentalists warn that the construction of these dams along the river’s course could cause irreversible alteration and damage to its riverbed.
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Nikaj-Mërtur has held Regional Natural Park status since 2014. Meanwhile, as a preliminary step to avoid a confrontation with residents, the excavators have been withdrawn from the area. The residents, for their part, say the protests will not stop until the project is canceled.
