Outrage grows among residents of Debreshe — they demand answers from Gostivar Mayor Valbon Limani

Outrage among residents of Debreshe, the village near Gostivar, is growing after the promise to restore water following the June 19 protest was not fulfilled. Villagers say they halted the protest because they were assured that water supply would be restored, but since then they have had neither regular water nor clear explanations.

They sent a letter with a 24-hour ultimatum

Today the residents sent a letter to Mayor Valbon Limani and to the public utility Komunalec threatening to publish all verbal promises if they do not receive answers to the most important questions within 24 hours.

In the letter the villagers ask: "We are aware of the water pollution crisis in Gostivar. But that cannot be a reason for the promises made to the residents of Debreshe to be completely forgotten. At what stage is the project for Debreshe? Why was the July 15 deadline not respected? Exactly when will regular water supply be established? Who is responsible for the delay?" the residents of Debreshe ask.

Telma spoke with several residents who claim their taps have been without water for more than two months. According to them, the problem appeared after an intervention Komunalec carried out in May on the main water pipeline due to the needs of the Bechtel‑Enka consortium for the motorway. After that intervention, the villagers say, an employee of Komunalec who had been on annual leave entered the system to increase the pressure and later died.

"They from the motorway use the water, those big companies may have paid to be allowed to operate — it is not right if they did that because people will not be able to drink, will not be able to boil water, they will have to go and buy [water]," says Adem Sulejmani, a resident of Debreshe.

Previous reports showed that the installation of three pipes intended to improve pressure in Gostivar contaminated the water supply. In May the main line was relocated because of the construction of a bridge on Corridor 8; the Public Enterprise for State Roads (JPDP) commented: "The relocation of the main water supply line was necessary because the existing water supply line (Ø500 mm) passed directly through the pier of the bridge at km 5 of the Corridor 8 route."

Some €7.2 million was spent on the Gostivar water supply, most of it as a Swiss donation, but employees of the enterprise stated that the system is not fully completed. JPDP and Komunalec have shifted responsibility onto each other, and the public learned of a dispute over around 16,000 denars that Komunalec allegedly owes JPDP. The Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation, but there is no public information on its progress. So far both the municipality and the utility have remained silent on the reaction of Debreshe residents.

Photo: press material from the event