Work on the Ibër-Lepenc canal section damaged by explosives has not yet been completed. The management of “Ibër-Lepenc” stated that the water flow beneath the canal is intentional.
The public enterprise “Ibër-Lepenc” and Minister Artane Rizvanolli previously announced that all major repairs on the canal section in Varagë, Zubin-Potok, were completed by the end of last year.
However, water continues to flow near the site of the terrorist attack on November 29th in northern Kosovo, and machinery is still in place awaiting the next phase of repairs.
Vigan Syla, the coordinator for the World Bank’s Water Security and Canal Protection project for the Ibër-Lepenc, explained that significant works were completed by December 31, and that the current water leakage is intentional.
“We purposely allowed a controlled leak during the repair of the damaged section. This is a controlled flow which we will now close, and it will no longer flow. It was done to facilitate the rehabilitation of the canal,” he stated.
Syla noted that despite the leakage following the explosion, the water supply for citizens was uninterrupted, thanks to the relentless three-day work by the enterprise’s officials and 50 contracted workers tasked with the canal’s rehabilitation.
Although the machinery was turned off on January 6 when KOHË reporters visited, Syla assured that final works would be completed shortly.
“We are now completing some final tasks, which will be finished this week. Afterward, we will remove the earth that was moved during the bypass work. From Monday onwards, the water will flow through the aqueduct, and citizens can feel secure knowing this work has been carried out successfully, with quality and standards,” he added.
Elsewhere along the canal, further rehabilitation is ongoing, as the damage to the 40-year-old canal is estimated to have caused half of the water flow to be lost.
The Special Prosecution is investigating this attack as an act of terrorism, targeting critical infrastructure in Kosovo. Two brothers, Jovan and Dragisha Viqentijević, have been arrested in connection to the attack.
The investigation is also being supported by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States.
Kosovo’s authorities have stated that the attack involved approximately 20 kilograms of explosives and was carried out by individuals trained in detonating slow-burning fuse explosives. The government of Kosovo has blamed Serbia and the criminal group of Milan Radojičić for the attack.
