Faruk Mujka, CEO of the Hydro-Economic Enterprise “Iber-Lepenac,” stated that the rise in water levels of the Ibar River was caused by natural conditions, not human interference, which led to flooding at the construction site of the new bridge near “Tre Rrokaqiejt” in North Mitrovica.
“Last night we experienced a sudden increase in the Ibar River’s water level, which caused material damage at the new bridge construction site. The cause was the large amount of water at the Pridvorica dam due to heavy rainfall in recent days, as well as the landslide of the canal in Zubin Potok,” Mujka explained on Facebook.
He added that although the situation caused some damage, it was minimized thanks to quick intervention, and the bridge structure was never at risk.
“It was not the hand of man that caused the damage, but the hand of man minimized what could have been much greater damage. The water level stabilized within an hour, and today we continue with the repair of the main canal,” he emphasized.
Mujka also clarified that fluctuations in the Ibar River’s water levels are normal throughout the seasons, noting that similar situations could happen in the future due to hydrological conditions.
He appealed for the case not to be used for political or electoral purposes, describing it as a purely technical matter.
“This case should not be used for political or electoral purposes because it has nothing to do with them. It is an operational issue,” Mujka said, adding that the economic operator at the construction site also bears responsibility for how work is organized.
Finally, the CEO of “Iber-Lepenac” thanked citizens for their understanding and expressed hope that such a situation would not occur again.
Project foreman Jahir Nimani claimed that the incident was a deliberate intervention, requesting urgent investigation and response from security institutions, police, and the prosecutor’s office to clarify the case. In a statement, the police said there are no elements of a criminal offense.
