Allegations of the Ministry of Sustainable Development and Tourism (MSDT) that UNESCO’s recommendations regarding devastation of the terrain by highway construction on the Tara River are implemented, are absolutely untrue and yet another justification by institutions that should deal with environmental issues, especially taking care of protected areas like Tara. Anyone who visits the construction of the highway near Tara can confirm this, which MANS did with journalists in the past days.
Specifically, tons of construction waste, generated by tunnel excavation, is continually disposed into the Tara riverbed, despite the recommendations of the European Parliament, the European Commission and, lastly, UNESCO. It is astonishing that the MSDT is justifying clear destroying of natural resource that belongs to all citizens with the so-called regulation of the riverbed, which would not be necessary if there was no excess material, and it is most convenient for CRBC to unload it on the banks of Tara.
This is also shown by the fact that CRBC has never opened any landfill to dispose excess material in the area where the highway comes into contact with Tara, but rather disposes all material in its riverbed. CRBC also did not built the two landfills that were envisaged by the first Construction Waste Management Plan, which was in effect until last year, but used the alleged need for regulation to dispose of a construction waste on the riverbanks.
MSDT’s claims that environmental and water inspectors are tightening controls on the implementation of environmental measures in the construction of highway are also grossly untrue, bearing in mind data from the Administration for Inspection Affairs which show that very few controls relate to the highway route itself, on which MANS informed the public earlier this year. On the other hand, the details of those controls are not known to the public, given that the Administration for Inspection Affairs continues to violate the Law on Free Access to Information and the Law on Inspection Control, refusing to disclose when, how, to what extent and why it punished the contractor of the highway construction.
In addition, the fact that CRBC opened a third illegal landfill on river Drcka River, tributary of Tara on private property of the citizens of Mateševo, with tacit support and consent of the institutions and in violation of the laws of Montenegro, says enough about the attitude of the authorities towards the citizens of Montenegro.
It is high time the MSDT and other competent institutions treated the protected area of Tara as it deserves, with full attention and respect for the laws of Montenegro, with full responsibility of those who devastate the area, which will – it is already clear now, leave enormous consequences on it.
MANS
