Swiss Ambassador Adrian Maître and the Mayor of Berat Ervin Demo inaugurated today the new waste deposit place in Berat.
“From today on waste will be treated properly, it will not pollute the rivers and the sea, it will not poison the agricultural land and it will not harm the air that we breathe. This has an effect on tourism, agriculture, the economy and the health of citizens. What’s more important: this investment is co-financed together with the municipality, which has also ensured proper operations and maintenance for this site”, said Swiss Ambassador Adrian Maître after visiting the renovated site.
The Mayor of Berat Ervin Demo commended the contribution of the Swiss government emphasizing the priority given to this project by the municipality and the solution it provides to a longstanding problem in treating urban waste. Berat municipality has co-financed the project with up to 20% and has set up a special unit for waste management based on recommendations from the Swiss project.
Through the project by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO flooding risk from river Osum are now eliminated while waste will no longer be thrown into the river. The project has set up a practical operational plan for the municipality for the next 5 years until a regional landfill is built. A feasibility study by the Swiss project has recommended steps for a regional landfill to be established in Berat in the long run.
In addition to the infrastructural improvement, the municipality will also be able to operate the waste deposit place in a clean and efficient manner through its special unit and waste management plan.
The 1 million Euro infrastructure investment of rehabilitating waste deposit sites in Berat, Kuçovë and Dimal began in September 2020. It brings this region’s waste management closer to EU standards and national plans and serves as medium-term solution until a more permanent investment is decided upon for the whole Berat region.
Environment and tourism will have a positive effect as a result of this new investment. Berat’s old dumpsite caused a lot of waste leakage into the river Osum, gas leakages in the surrounding agricultural land and air pollution.
