The appeal decides against the construction of the HPP on the Seta river in Dibër

The Administrative Court of Appeals decided on Thursday to annul a decision of the first instance of this court as well as several decisions of Albanian institutions regarding the granting of a concession for the construction of a hydropower plant on the canyon of the Seta River, a Natural Monument with special protection.

"A victory that makes us believe that there is justice," said Mustafa Tola after leaving the court building, one of the 11 residents of the village of Çidhan in Dibër, who had sued the Territorial Development Agency, the Ministry of Infrastructure and Energy, the National Environment Agency, the National Water Council, the National Agency of Natural Resources, the National Archeology Council and the "Hidro Seta" shpk.

" SETA-4".

"This is the only river out of the 4 rivers that were part of the Lura National Park that still had several kilometers unused," said Tola, adding that "the other 3 rivers have died, they have been put into pipes."

Tola, a veterinarian by profession, has been an environmental protection activist for years, opposing the construction of HPPs on the course of rivers in the Dibra area, and has pursued this issue in dozens of court hearings in the first instance.

According to him, during the several-year court battle, the works for the HEC have continued. "We expect it to be broken and the piped water returned to the area," he adds, describing the water of this vital river for the preservation of Lura's nature as a protected area.

In their lawsuit, the residents refer to the list of Natural Monuments, which include the "Sopanika Spring and Cave" and "Seta Gorge", which are affected by the implementation of this project.

"Its implementation brings consequences and great damages related to the denaturalization of the valley of this river, harming and bringing consequences in the damage to the fauna and flora (plants and animals) and therefore directly damages the interests of the inhabitants of the village" - it is stated in the lawsuit submitted to the court.

The battle of the residents started many years ago with protests and legal processes.

The Administrative Court of First Instance in Tirana dismissed their lawsuit in December 2018, concluding that the residents had not proven their claims that the HPP was infringing on protected areas.

The National Council of the Territory approved in 2015 the construction of 4 HPPs in the Seta river valley by the company "HYDROSETA POWER", but the residents in their lawsuit requested the partial annulment of the concession contract for the construction of one of them, "SETA 4 ", since out of 4 canyons that are in the area with the status as a protected area, the footprint of the HEC affects 2 of them, which enjoys legal protection.

*The letter was amended to specify the name of the third member of the judicial team, Rezarta Aliu. In the previous version, it was incorrectly written that one of the members who gave the decision was judge Enkelejda Metaliaj. Reporter.al