FLASH
Shkruar nga Pamfleti
In 2021, the Municipality of Durrës opened a tender worth 87 million lek for the design of the study for the water network in the area of Porto Romano and the former Swamp. In the same year, it was opened and the winner of the big tender worth 10 million euros was announced. The procedure was done at the end of 2021 and the winning firms had a deadline of 12 months, where the work had to be completed at the end of 2022. But, 1 and a half years after the end of the deadline, the work is not finished. The new Hydrovor does not work and the Municipality of Durrës says that there were problems with expropriations.
Residents of the area of Spitalla and the former Swamp complain about the presence of sewage in the canals throughout the area. According to them, life has become difficult and all these waters end up in the sea, in the old Hidrovor in Porto Romano, which is choked with garbage and sewage.
Some have filed lawsuits in court against the Municipality of Durrës, meanwhile they have also complained to the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination. The latter issued a decision that these residents are discriminated against because of their place of residence. On the other hand, Durrës Water and Sewerage claims that only part of the wastewater goes to the Water Treatment Plant in Shënavlash, but other investments are needed to rehabilitate the area.
Residents: Massive pollution, our children are not even coming for burials!
The Fiks Fare group talked to dozens of residents of the former Kêneta and Spitalla area, who complain about the presence of sewage in all these neighborhoods, where almost 1/3 of the residents in Durrës live. The 2021 project only opened some ditches and cleared some existing ones, but no pipelines.
"These canals have polluted water. It has become impossible to live in this area. Source of infections. We cannot open the windows. The waters stand still and are all black. They don't go to the Plant in Shënavlash, but they pour into the Adriatic Sea," says Frrok Frroku, a resident of "Gjelbërimi" street. His place of residence has nothing to do with the topography of this road, since in that place, apart from some trees, there is massive pollution. Bad smell and dirty water, which just stays in the canal. Other residents claim that when it rains, the water comes to the surface. "We've been doing it for 20 years and no improvement," says Prenga, another resident. An old man says that his children have run away and are not coming to meet him. "Even when we die, we will not be hit by the heavy wind here," claims another.
Some residents have filed a lawsuit in court against the Municipality of Durrës, meanwhile they have also complained to the Commissioner for Protection from Discrimination. The latter issued a decision that these residents are discriminated against because of their place of residence.
Tens of millions of euros, sewage in large drainage channels
The Fiks Fare group followed several canals, which go to the Porto Romano area, to the new port. In that place, there is also the old Hidrovor, where the canals that sent water to that place were filled with sewage and garbage.
The employees of that Hidrovori told Fiksit that "this is how it comes and this is how it goes to the sea afterwards".
The fix also went to Hidrovor i Ri, which has not been put into operation. An employee claims that it is from a private company and that the Municipality of Durrës has not yet received it. He claims that the pumps have been tested, but the work is not finished. "The water must be processed at the plant in Shënavlash. I don't know if they process it," he says.
In May 2021, the Municipality of Durres opened the tender for the design and study of the design of the drainage network in the area of Porto - Romano and the former Swamp, as well as the rainwater system in the urban area of Durres. The value of this procedure was 87 million ALL, or by adding VAT, the amount is about 100 million ALL. The money came from the state budget, as part of the reconstruction from the consequences of the earthquake.
A few months later, namely on November 5, 2021, the Municipality of Durrës opened the big tender, worth 1 billion and 972 million ALL, or about 20 million euros.
The announcement of the classification was made on December 17, while it was published in the bulletin of the Procurement Agency on December 31, 2021. The winner was declared a union of economic operators, who had 12 months to complete this work. But, 1 year and a half after the deadline, the work is not finished. The new hydropower has not been put into operation!
Meanwhile, in the last few days, the same municipality issued a notice to the Public Procurement Agency. The facility is the "wastewater treatment system in Lajje e Re, Spitalle". The value is 54 million ALL, while the procedure will take place in October 2024. It is about construction works for sewage treatment plants and construction works for sewers. So, with the same object as the big tender of 2021.
So far, more than 20 million euros have been spent, but this money has only gone to sewer and flood systems. Wastewater will continue to flow into those channels and, without passing through the Plant, will flow into the Adriatic Sea.
Municipality and Waterworks: More investments are needed...
Fiks reporters went to the Sewage Treatment Plant. Director Olsi Graceni says that this plant receives the waste water of the coastal area and urban water from the city. But the waters of Spitalla and the former Swamp do not go here. It shows the process, where the water is pumped and, after being treated, returned to the canals that then go to Shënavlash. It says that the plant has been in operation since 2013 and treats those waters that come from the city.
Fiksi also went to the Municipality of Durrës, where the Director of Projects, Lorenc Facja, claims that the work of the new Hidrovor should be completed at the end of 2022, but there have been major problems with expropriations. It says that the work will only rehabilitate the canals and have a new hydrovor and that it is for open canals and not those of sewage. He adds that it will be put into operation very soon, but it will only reduce the amount of water in the canals and it is more about floods.
According to him, for the problem of sewage, the Durrës Waterworks, which is JSC, has done several projects, but other investments are needed to find a solution. "Several studies and project designs have been done by the Durrës Waterworks, but funds are needed to intervene," says the director. When asked about the situation in Spitalle and the former Kënetë, where sewage is thrown into open canals, he says that it is not allowed, but it is an informal area./ TCH
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