The Right to Water initiative, together with two local initiatives, Save Studenica and Save the mountain rivers of Kraljevo, today, May 20, 2024, again sent the initiative to the councilors of the Kraljevo City Assembly for the adoption of a moratorium on the construction of small hydropower plants. While the Studenica river is threatened by the construction of a new small hydroelectric power plant, which would destroy the natural and cultural heritage of the Studenica monastery, this initiative has been gathering dust in the drawers of the mayor and the city administration for more than two years.
“After two years, we came to the same place to remind the councilors of the new convocation of the Kraljevo City Assembly about the initiative to introduce a moratorium on disastrous projects for the construction of small hydroelectric power plants on the mountain rivers of Kraljevo. This is a big and important decision for the future of nature protection not only in Kraljevo but in the entire country. If further construction of small hydroelectric power plants is allowed, such as is planned on the Studenica river, right next to the “Golija-Studenica” Biosphere Reserve, which represents the world’s natural and cultural heritage, that would be a defeat not only for Kraljevo, but for Serbia and everyone who appreciates the value of nature”. she said Zaklina Zivkovic, from the Right to Water initiative.
We remind you that after the protest of the residents of the Ušće settlement in December 2021, the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, promised the residents that they could sleep peacefully and that the Studenica river would be preserved, and that the HPP would not be built.
“In the case of the Studenica river and the project to build a small hydroelectric power plant, for which we received a promise from the president that it would be suspended, the paperwork project is progressing rapidly. We feel deceived and let down the drain. If the activities that lead to the construction of the MHP continue, it will be a great cruelty to the people of this region, our nature and history. I appeal to the councilors to adopt a moratorium and allow our region to bubble, to live,” said Goran Nikolić from the Save Studenica initiative.
The Right to Water initiative, together with the councilors of the Local Front from Kraljevo, visited some of the Kraljevo rivers on which MHPs have already been built this weekend and found a catastrophic situation for water and nature. “These scenes only strengthened us even more in our intention to fight for the preservation of the other rivers, the adoption of the moratorium is the first step on that path,” concluded Živković .
