27 May 2019 - A weeks-long protests of citizens, who have been claiming that the construction of two small hydropower plants on Bukovica River would significantly affect biodiversity, attracted the public's attention, after which the Government of Montenegro, that is, the Ministry of Economy decided to re-examine the concession agreement.
The executive director of the consortium Hydra MNE, Boban Garović, which has been constructing these small hydropower plants on the Bukovica River, says announced controls over the concession agreements won’t find anything wrong, because their documentation has even more than envisaged by the law.
“The Ecology Institute within the Podgorica-based Institute for Development and Research in labor safety prepared the environmental impact assessment study. Mr Aleksandar Perović of the NGO ‘Ozon’ represented Šavnik residents. The study was twice returned for reconsideration in order to conduct additional researches,” said Mr Garović.
He stressed that the study came as a result of months-long researches, and besides additional analyses, a hydrogeological map and sanitary protection zones were made. Small hydropower plants, according to him, represent an opportunity for the better quality of living in the north, with a minimal impact on the environment.
The President of the Municipality of Šavnik, Mijomir Vujičić, says that before they approved the projects on Bukovica River, all the facts had been taken into consideration, and one should not forget Šavnik is an extremely underdeveloped municipality with only 2,000 inhabitants.
“The construction of 2 small hydropower plants represents the largest private direct investment in the history of Šavnik, with an estimated value of 8.8 million EUR. The project will be lasting 24 months and there’s a chance for recruiting around 60 people,” Mr Vujičić clarified for Dnevne Novine daily.
Source: Cafe del Montenegro
