Berat / Waste disposal area is rehabilitated

TIRANA, July 7 / ATS / The Municipality of Berat was supported by a Swiss project to renovate the landfill and set up a new waste management unit.

New landfills in Kuçova and Dimal were also inaugurated today, as work continues on a sustainable waste management solution for the region.

Swiss Ambassador Adrian Maître and Berat Mayor Ervin Demo inaugurated today the new landfill in Berat.

"From today, the waste will be treated properly, it will not pollute the river and the sea, it will not poison the agricultural land and it will not harm the air we breathe. This has an effect on tourism, agriculture, the economy and the health of citizens. "What is more important is that this investment was co-financing with the municipality, which also provided the operation and maintenance for this square", said the Swiss ambassador Adrian Maître after the visit.

Berat Mayor Ervin Demo praised the contribution from the Swiss government and stressed the priority given to this project by the municipality and the solution it gives to the long-standing problem of urban waste treatment.

The Municipality of Berat co-financed the project with 20% and set up a special unit for waste management based on the recommendations of the Swiss project.

Through the project of the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO, the risks of flooding from the Osum River have been eliminated while the waste is no longer dumped into the river. The project has designed a practical operational plan for the municipality for the next 5 years until a regional landfill is built.

An evaluation study by the Swiss project has recommended steps towards setting up a regional landfill in Berat for a long-term solution.

In addition to improving the infrastructure, the municipality will be able to maintain the landfill in a clean and efficient form through the special unit and the waste management plan.

The 1m-euro infrastructure investment for the rehabilitation of landfills in Berat, Kucova and Dimal began in September 2020. This brings waste management closer to EU standards and national plans, and serves as a medium-term solution until an investment is made. more permanent for the entire Berat region.

The environment and tourism will have a positive effect as a result of this new investment. The old landfill in Berat caused spills of waste into the Osum River, gas leaks into the surrounding agricultural land and air pollution