Javna rasprava
The construction of the “Mountain Village” on Klekovača lacks a clear solution for water supply, and there is also the question of addressing sewage and wastewater treatment. Additionally, there is an increased risk of forest fires. These concerns were expressed during a public discussion held in Petrovac regarding the Draft Environmental Impact Study for this urban area project.
The “Mountain Village” includes the construction of hotels, apart-hotels, and tourist houses (vacation homes). It is part of a larger project, the “Klekovača Tourist Center,” planned for this mountain area, which also involves the construction of ski slopes, cable cars, golf courses, sports facilities, wellness and spa centers, children’s parks, an adventure park, and so on.
This project has been planned for over 10 years. In 2010, the lead company “GB IMMO” from Banja Luka, in collaboration with the Government of Republika Srpska, concluded a “Framework Agreement on the Development and Construction of a First-Class Sports-Recreation Ski Complex in the Klekovača Mountain Area”.
The public discussion held on Wednesday, June 7th, was characterized by doubts, concerns, and open questions from the relevant authorities in the municipality of Petrovac, the local population, and the Center for the Environment, regarding the implementation of this project. After the representatives of the study’s developers presented the project, a series of comments followed.
“Drinić is, in general, an area with no scarce water supply. According to the data from our municipal utility company, during the summer period when water reduction occurs, the two existing water sources have a capacity of 0.66 l/s, but they are disappearing as well. Something is happening with that water because the yield estimates of the water sources when establishing the water supply system (about twenty years ago) were around 5 l/s. Last year, we had four months of constant water reduction from 3:00 PM to 7:00 AM. If it turns out that there is a satisfactory quantity of water at the Kozila site, can the local community obtain the necessary permits to connect it to the water supply system, considering that the area has been declared an area of special purpose?” questioned Drago Kovačević, the head of the municipality of Petrovac-Drinić.
Klekovača
In addition to water supply concerns, the local population is also worried about sewage and wastewater management. Emeritus professor Dr. Vojislav Kecman, a resident of Drinić, pointed out that most of the approximately 300 inhabitants of Drinić use a partially constructed sewage system that leads to a natural sinkhole near the church.
“Wastewater must not be discharged into the forest plateau area of Kozila or anywhere above it because fresh water (which is already microbiologically contaminated) is planned to be brought from Kozila for the Klekovača tourist center. The only possible place for wastewater would then be that small sinkhole in the middle of Drinić. Curiously, the investor did not specify, or does not want to specify precisely, where the sewage wastewater will be discharged, even in the proposed zoning plans. The planned number of tourists and staff is around 3,000 daily during the peak season, thus two serious questions arise now. Firstly, whether the very small natural sinkhole can handle over 1,100 cubic meters of wastewater daily, and secondly, the problem is that with these amounts of wastewater, life in Drinić will be difficult due to unpleasant odors and an unhealthy atmosphere (despite the purification facilities),” emphasized Kecman.
Prof dr Vojislav Kecman
Professor Kecman adds that some questions remain unanswered even after this public discussion.
“There are five fundamental questions: forest fires, drinking water supply, roads, waste, and sewage. These questions are very broadly covered in this study without precise information. It is not clear who will bear the costs of road reconstruction, as well as the provision of necessary funds for fire protection,” he said, concluding that ultimately everything will be done according to the law, but in a poor and wrong manner.
Representatives of the Center for the Environment highlighted the shortcomings of the study regarding the plant and animal species inhabiting this area, as well as the lack of data on the specific impact of this project on these species.
“For almost ten years, we have been monitoring this megalomaniacal project planned on the beautiful Klekovača. Together with the expert community, we share concerns about this project and its impact on the local population and nature, for which the study does not provide adequate solutions. The Eurasian lynx, which is strictly protected by the Regulation on Strictly Protected and Protected Species, is present in this area, and we expect the impact of the project on this and other endangered species to be seriously and professionally examined,” stated Nataša Crnković, the coordinator of the Biodiversity and Protected Areas Program at the Center for Environment.
After the public discussion, it is clear that the local population is not satisfied with the proposed solutions from the Draft Environmental Impact Study and does not agree with the implementation of such a project.
“In the coming period, we expect the competent Ministry of Spatial Planning, Construction, and Ecology of Republika Srpska to require the investor, as well as the executor of the Environmental Impact Study, to conduct more in-depth research and find solutions that address the concerns of the local residents as well as those of the Center for Environment. Otherwise, the realization of such a large project with uncertain and ill-conceived solutions cannot and should not be justified, nor will it serve the public interest,” warned Sonja Kosanović, a lawyer at the Center for the Environment.