Latest footage by the MANS Investigative Centre show that instead of disposing excavated construction waste at the site envisaged for it, CRBC deposited this waste illegally on agricultural land along the Drcka River, tributary of the Tara River. In that part, Drcka riverbank is destroyed by poured sand and stone.
The footage also show that the contractor installed at least two channels for wastewater disposal directly into Drcka River and further into Tara. No sewage treatment plants were noticed on these channels.
Environmental Impact Assessment Study does not envisage opening of the landfill in this location, and in addition, this document “strictly prohibits the disposal of excess material from the excavation into the streambeds and riverbeds, on the river banks and on agricultural land.
The Government of Montenegro, specifically the line ministry for environmental protection, is not interested in implementing the laws and regulations of this country, whereby, in practice, it sends a message to CRBC that it is completely free to do what it really wants at the site. What is also a big issue is that we cannot know if any inspection has done anything to protect Tara and nature around the construction site, because let me remind that the entire inspection supervision when it comes to performing works on the highway was declared state secret by the state,” Dejan Milovac said.
Discovery of the new landfill comes just days after the UNESCO report which criticises the construction of the highway in the riverbed of the protected Tara River, with a message to the authorities that they must urgently assess the impact of construction works on the ecological status of the river, and to adopt a plan to rehabilitate and prevent serious consequences for the river downstream.
“It means that not only do we have a new landfill recorded, but the works are continuing on the existing landfills, to which MANS drew attention to last year, that is, new material is being deposited, which is in contradiction with the recommendations of both the European Parliament and its resolution, as well as the European Commission, stated in the report on Montenegro, ” Milovac said.
Even a week later, the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism did not comment on the assessment on devastation of Tara stated in the UNESCO report.
Lazar Grdinić
NVO MANS
