Albania Threatens Forced Evacuation

Tirana | 05 January 2010 |
Floods in the low plains in northern Albania have led to a rapidly deteriorating situation during the last 24 hours, and meteorologists warn that the worst is not yet over. The Albanian government said on Monday that intends to force the evacuation of villagers who refuse to abandon their homes.

Local televisions have reported that the majority of inhabitants in the flooded areas refuse to move, saying that they want to save their domestic animals first, which are the major cash revenues in rural Albania.

“If it will be necessary, we will use [force]. We have done so before because our first duty is to save people’s lives. We will help farmers as well to remove their domestic [animals],” Leonard Olli, head of the National Emergency Team said in a press conference. Local television Top Channel reported that around 100 inhabitants who were evacuated on Sunday had returned in their flooded homes, saying that they did not like the living conditions in the facilities offered by the government. Around 570 houses are reported flooded while 200 more are isolated by the rising waters of the Drini River. The government said that 3500 hectares of farmland is now under water.

“The situation will worsen in the next few days. We expect storms and heavy rains in the low plains in the north,” said meteorologist Rezarta Xhakollari.

In the mean time, the Socialist Party in opposition criticised the government for the inadequate management of the river flows.

“The government is more interested to import electricity than to produce it, and this is the real reason of the last flooding,” Ilir Beqja a MP from the Socialist Party said. Usually three big dams on the Drini River regulate the flows, but these days, all the reservoirs are full and the national electricity corporation has been obliged to open the side gates.