The Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Infrastructure (MESP) has announced that the protection of water resources remains one of its strategic priorities, warning that further actions will be taken to clear illegally occupied public water properties and remove unauthorized constructions.
In a statement published on Facebook, the ministry said it has already begun reviewing requests from public institutions and enterprises regarding the release of water-related properties that have been illegally occupied or transferred in violation of the law.
“For the Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning, the protection of water resources represents a national strategic priority. Therefore, safeguarding water properties has been placed at the center of our institutional commitment. We have begun the immediate review of requests from institutions and public enterprises for the release of all water properties that have been occupied or unlawfully transferred,” the ministry stated.
The ministry emphasized that these efforts are being carried out throughout Kosovo, referring specifically to the recent operation at Lake Ujman (Gazivoda).
“The recent operation in the Lake Ujman area, where with the assistance of the MESP Inspectorate and the Kosovo Police, 16 illegally constructed buildings on water properties administered by the public enterprise ‘Ibër-Lepenci’ were demolished, is only one step within this plan. All parties involved in this operation had been notified in advance, fully in accordance with legal procedures,” the statement added.
According to the ministry, cases involving illegal occupation and unauthorized construction around Lake Batllava and Lake Badovc are also currently being reviewed.
“As part of the same strategic priority, other institutional requests related to illegal occupations and unauthorized constructions are being examined with high intensity, especially around Lake Batllava and Lake Badovc, two key sources of drinking water supply for our citizens. The MESP Inspectorate is continuing the full identification of violations in these areas, and once this process is completed, immediate legal measures will be taken to return these spaces to public use,” the ministry said.
The ministry also announced that the Inspectorate continues monitoring protected areas and national parks, reaffirming its commitment to enforcing the law.
“The Ministry of Environment and Spatial Planning remains unwavering in its mission: through law enforcement and inter-institutional cooperation, we will protect every water and natural resource of the Republic of Kosovo from any form of occupation or illegal construction,” the statement concluded.
