Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, Niko Peleshi, declared this Friday that the Agency for Water Management has been created and stated that those who abuse with rivers will face justice.
This agency will be responsible for water administration, so it will no longer be a competence of Agriculture, Energy or Environment Ministry, according to Peleshi.
"Ministry of Agriculture had to take care even of water administration. When we conducted an audit on the permits of river exploitation we were faced with scandalous results, because the exploitation of rivers was completely forbidden. Basin agencies had given 42 permits to allegedly rehabilitate the river, when in fact they were being used to exploit it thus violating the law.
For these reasons criminal proceedings have started to four of basin's directors," said Peleshi.
The Minister added that even though legal restrictions exist, rivers are still exploited.
"In these cases, Prosecution or other law organs must act. This is an appeal made not only by Ministry of Agriculture, but also by the Albanian government.
I want to publicly denounce the Basin Council of Mat, which has allowed the exploitation of the river continue by not acting in compliance with the law.
I say it is high time that the law implementation be stronger so as such 'courageous' people don't dare to undertake such steps.
They will pay for their actions," concluded Peleshi.