“The life and the welfare of these inhabitants should be of primary importance to all Corporations and Kosovo Institutions that want to practise their activity”, were the comments of the Acting Ombudsperson Mr. Hilmi Jashari during a visit that he made to the village Grabovc i Ultë.
In the village Grabovc i Ultë, about 180 inhabitants live in 31 houses and are suffocated by the diggings conducted by the Kosovo Electricity Corporation (KEK).
The inhabitants living there have filed a complaint with the Acting Ombudsperson as they can lead no normal life as a result of the lack of potable water, noise and the dust caused by the KEK diggings.
According to the inhabitants of the village, the work in this mine goes on non-stop for 24 hours, and as a result, the inhabitants living near this site cannot sleep properly or lead a normal life.
Based on the information made available to the Acting Ombudsperson by official and independent sources for the protection of environment, the pollution of air and water which is conducted by KEK in this area of Kosovo constitutes enormous violation of permitted standards.
Also according to the information it is known that the water is polluted on a large scale in this area and that it is neither potable nor appropriate for any other family use, unless it is mechanically or chemically treated.
After familiarising himself with the situation in the village Grabovc i Ultë, the Acting Ombudsperson will call upon Central Institutions and the Kosovo Electricity Corporation to engage as soon as possible in order to find a solution for the inhabitants whose life has been destabilised as a consequence of the works of KEK.
The Acting Ombudsperson Mr. Hilmi Jashari expressed his concern and said that unless emergency measures are taken to provide welfare and the right for living for the inhabitants of the village Grabovc i Ultë, the consequences might be tragic to their health.