Environmental activists announce new Kozuf blockades to stop Barov Dol and Paprad hydropower projects
Civic groups urged people to gather at the mountain road previously blocked for nearly three months after learning permits were reissued for works on the Doshnica River.
Environmental activists from the Southeastern region have announced new blockades on Kozuf to stop construction of the small hydropower plants Barov Dol and Paprad on the Doshnica River.
Action and appeal
Civic initiatives called on residents to join them on the mountain road that was closed last year for nearly three months. Organizers said the road will again be used as a site of peaceful blockade to prevent access to construction sites.
The protest movement returned after activists received information that building permits for a small hydropower plant on the Doshnica River had been reissued. They say the measures aim to protect the river and the surrounding landscape from further intervention.
Local groups insist their initiative will be non-violent and based on citizen presence and monitoring of the area around Kozuf. They are appealing to people from nearby towns and villages to take part and to help sustain a continuous presence on the road.
Organizers point to last year’s long blockade as a precedent, when the same mountain route remained closed for nearly three months while residents demanded a halt to the hydropower projects. Activists say they will return to the same tactics if necessary to stop construction on the Doshnica River.
Photo: press material from the event
