The Environmental Impact Assessment for the expansion of the Landovica landfill is being discussed without citizen participation.

The Kosovo Landfill Management Company, in cooperation with the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure and the Municipality of Prizren, organized a public debate on Friday on the Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the expansion of the Landovica landfill.

Citizens did not participate in the meeting held in the meeting hall of the Prizren Municipal Assembly.

However, the contents of the Environmental Impact Assessment Report for the expansion of the waste landfill in the Municipality of Prizren were briefly presented to the officials.

The drafter of the EIA, Raif Bytyçi, has announced that this document is necessary for obtaining environmental consent and that it has been drafted according to the requirements of the environmental legal framework of Kosovo.

According to him, the project area includes four municipalities in the Prizren region (Prizren, Suhareka, Dragash and Mamusha) and three municipalities in the Gjakova region (Gjakova, Malisheva and Rahovec), which deposit waste in the Landovica landfill.

"The landfill will be expanded eastward, with an annual capacity of approximately 142,200 tons/year, according to EU standards. The proposed solution could extend the operation of the landfill by approximately 14 years," Bytyçi said.

Professional associate, Blert Gjinolli, presenting the analysis of alternatives, emphasized that the current situation at the Landovica landfill is unenviable and that the alternative remains its expansion by implementing international standards, where waste management and treatment is carried out in such a way that environmental and social impacts are minimal.

"As such, this alternative is better than the zero alternative," he said.

After that, Bytyçi also presented the Environmental Management Plan, as well as rehabilitation measures in this area.

On the other hand, officials from the Municipality of Prizren have requested clarification regarding the lifespan of the landfill, then measures to address the problem of the lagoon and the discharge of sewage, while as a remark to the organizers of the meeting, they have also mentioned the non-presence of representatives of the village of Landovicë, since they are affected by this project.

Representatives of the KMDK have provided clarifications to the questions posed, while regarding the lack of presence of citizens, they have said that they have no knowledge as they were informed earlier about the project in question and that the public debate was organized based on the MMPHI's instructions for holding such meetings. /Telegraph/