Goran Trivan (Beta/Milos Miskov)
Minister of Environmental Protection Goran Trivian on Oct. 21, announced changes to the Law on Environmental Protection which would ban the construction of small hydro power plants in protected areas, saying that compared to other countries in the region Serbia has the smallest quantity of surface water.
“We have been debating on this for the past two years. We have to keep in mind that Serbia has the smallest quantity of surface water in the region, and we have to find a way to preserve it, and one way is to introduce restrictions in protected areas,” Trivan told RTS public service.
When asked what would have happened had the citizens not been that persistent and vocal during the protests, Trivian answered that the topic would nevertheless be discussed because he would insist on it.
Commenting on the protests of the locals who demanded that the construction of the said power plants also be banned in the areas that are not under state protection, he said that such reactions would not have been that strong had the construction rules been followed, adding that in some cases “riverbeds were left without water.”
The small hydro power plants are not the problem per se, said the minister, but rather how the projects are executed.
He said that the municipalities and local inspections are the ones that should be asked why this was not stopped.
When asked if a consensus exists in the government on the changing the law, Trivian said that it remains to be seen. “I think there will be no dilemmas, that a consensus does exists on the ban in protected areas,” adding that the changes will be adopted by the Parliament.
Following the changes, according to him, a plan will be made to see what should be done in other parts of Serbia.
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