The Minister of Energy, Damian Gjiknuri has ordered the immediate stop of the injection of technological water in the wells surrounding the village of Zharrez, in Fier, following the concerns aroused by the residents and the six-day hunger strike of the latter.

The news was made known through a press release issued by the Ministry of Energy and Industry, according to which, the order was issued on Monday, December 26. 

In addition, Prime Minister Edi Rama ordered the establishment of an inter-ministerial working group on Tuesday to assess the situation created by the land shakes in Zharrez and to draft the measures that must be taken to repair damages. This group will be headed by Deputy PM Niko Peleshi, and will be composed by representatives of the Ministries of Environment, Industry and the Interior one. It will be assisted and advised by experts of respective fields of the National Agency of Natural Resources, Geological Service and Institute of Geo-science, Energy, Water and Environment.

Once the Prime Minister ordered the creation of this group, the participants of the hunger strike ended it on its seventh day, hoping that the situation will be solved.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Socialist Movement for Integration (SMI) called on the government to urgently set up a commission to verify and find a solution to the emergency situation in the administrative unit of Zharrez, district of Fier, after a group of local residents have staged a hunger strike to protest against oil drilling operations in the Patos- Marinza heavy oilfield, south-western Albania.

In a press statement, Vice Chairman of SMI Petrit Vasili noted that situation of hunger strikers is worsening and an urgent intervention is needed to provide a solution.

“There is no time to waste in finding a solution to the situation. A government commission should be urgently established to deal with the situation created in the village of Zharrez in order to allow then for an emergent intervention. The condition of the hunger striker is worsening,” Vasili stated.

The hunger strikers were visited even by the Democratic Party MPs, Bedri Mihaj and Kozma Dashi, who reconfirmed their support for the requests of the residents and urged the government to react immediately because the health state of the strikers is aggravated.

MP Ben Blushi also met with the hunger strikers, and stated that they have been betrayed by the government, which he accused of defending the richer instead of defending the people.