Near the waterfall of the river Bliha, in the area of Sanski Most, the Starac mill grinds flour, and Meho Krupić sits in the shade and makes wooden spoons. The mill has been there since time hundreds years, he renovated it three years ago, grinds wheat and corn flour that he sells to tourists. They come, he says, from all parts of Europe and the Middle East. They love the natural beauty of Krajina and local products.
A stone mill, covered with wooden shingles, existed here for centuries. The inhabitants of Fajtovac and other surrounding villages used it to grind flour for their own needs. When it fell into disrepair, in 1987 they launched a restoration campaign in which Krupić also participated.
“Mirko came to me with a group of people and offered to participate in the restoration of the mill. I gave the then 400,000 dinars for the grinding line. For that money, some time ago, I installed electricity on the first floor, installed carpentry and furnished two balconies. Some other people from Kamengrad got involved in the action, and about thirty of us who rebuilt the mill then settled. He worked throughout the war, and then they demolished it,” says Krupić.
After the time spent in exile, Krupić returned from Slovenia, but the mill was still devastated. As he was working in Slovenia, he spent little time in Sanski Most, so he failed to rebuild the mill. And then after his retirement, he himself started a restoration campaign and Starav shone with its old glory.
“I came to you three years ago and saw how to restore it. I redid everything both inside and outside. No one grinds in the mill, except that I grind my wheat and corn like this, and sell it to tourists. Norwegians visited me the other day and bought flour. They know what it is and they know our traditional dishes,” says Krupić.
There is currently no support from the Municipality, but he is fighting alone because as a pensioner, this is useful for him to spend his time usefully. A kilogram of flour costs 3 BAM and sells very well, says Krupić.
The Bliha River is a left tributary of the Sana River. It springs in the town of Donji Lipnik, at 450 meters above sea level. The length of the stream is 23.9 kilometers. On the ninth kilometer of its course between Fajtovac and Gornji Kamengrad is the Bliha jump. The waterfall is over 40 meters high and about 10 meters wide, and is known for its beauty and represents one of the important tourist potentials of the municipality of Sanski Most.
In the past, there were numerous watermills on the Bliha, and the river, both in the past and today, was prone to occasional spills from its bed. On that occasion, most often in its lower course, it causes damage to the population in the nearby section.
