Residents of four villages in the Martanesh area, in the Bulqizë municipality, express concern that they risk being left without drinking water, due to a hydroelectric power plant that a private company is attempting to build in the area.
According to them, the company "Teodori 2003 Sh.PK" has started works to divert the natural streams that supply Lake Sope, without having the necessary approvals from the Bulqiza Municipality or central institutions. This lake and the surrounding springs are vital for the residents of the villages of Mëlcu, Gjon, Qarr and Staveç, who use the water for consumption, agriculture and livestock.
Residents recall that in 2016, the works were halted after protests by the local community, but recently the company has returned and resumed construction activity in the same area. They warn that diverting flows towards the Black Drin to supply the company's hydroelectric power plant will cause the sources to dry up and a serious water crisis for the community.
Despite numerous complaints to relevant institutions, residents say that no measures have been taken to stop the works. They call on the government to intervene immediately and take a legal stance to stop, as they call it, "water smuggling", which risks bringing conflict and self-justification to the area.
