The Association of Citizens “Bjelava” Foca, founded with the aim of preserving the river Bjelava and other rivers Foca, and promoting the protection of flora and fauna in the municipality of Foca, together with the informal group “Let’s save the rivers Foca” and citizens signing a petition against the construction of SHPP in Foca, to the Ministry of Energy and Mining with a request to urgently review the legality and revoke the Decision on the approved conduct of geological research in the area, issued more than a month after the start of work.
Namely, the investor went to the field in March this year, during the emergency situation caused by the “COVID – 19” virus, and started the works on the construction of mini-hydropower plants at the Bjelava, Velika and Mala Bjelava localities.
The revocation of the decision on conducting geological research is necessary because it was determined that the research is not conducted in accordance with the project of detailed geological research and because it was subsequently determined that the attached documentation on which the approval for detailed geological research was issued, contains incorrect or untrue files.
Citizens gathered in the Association point out that the field research is not carried out in accordance with the Detailed Geological Research Project, because it is clear in the field that the contractor has already left the boundaries of the research area by breaking through the roads to Velika Bjelava.
The contractor changed the course of the river in many places, and a new narrowed riverbed is visible, and in addition, according to local estimates, over 3,000 m3 of the forest was destroyed, of which a large percentage falls on the highest quality beech trees, more than 100 years old.
