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The collapse of the Librazhd–Pogradec axis has isolated the southeast, environmentalists: Environmental massacre in Shkumbin
2026-02-24 22:40:59 / AKTUALITET
Hundreds of trucks with goods blocked at the Qafë Thana customs. Students waiting to return to Tirana. Citizens unable to get to work. The collapse caused by massive landslides on the Librazhd - Pogradec national axis, in the area known as "Arrat e Gurrës", damaged railway lines and electricity lines. The government speaks of a natural phenomenon. Environmentalists about "environmental massacre" in the Shkumbin River.
What started as a crack in the asphalt ended with the total collapse of the road and bridge. The landslide remains active, also damaging the new segment of Corridor VIII, which is being built parallel to the current axis.
The Albanian Road Authority (ARRSH) announced that the segment will be blocked until a full geological and technical reassessment, as "the terrain appears unstable and challenging for intervention."
The isolation of the southeast has caused delays in the transport of goods and the movement of citizens, in one of the country's most important trade corridors.
Traffic has been diverted to alternative routes for light vehicles, while for heavy vehicles, the passage must be made through North Macedonia, returning to Albanian territory through the Arbri Road.
Rama: Zero connection with technical responsibility
Prime Minister Edi Rama described the event as a natural phenomenon and as "a great evil to blame the government for the problem of a geological landslide of the natural massif on the side of the old road, which has also impacted the new axis."
"Zero connection with any professional or technical responsibility of the designers, implementers or relevant authorities" - said Rama.
While work and reassessment continue on the ground, Rama traveled to Korça on Monday afternoon by Armed Forces helicopter. The move sparked reactions from the opposition and on social media, at a time when hundreds of citizens and transporters are stranded by the collapse of the axis.
Rama denied that the use of the helicopter was related to the situation. According to him, the trip was planned earlier to accompany a group of international investors in the field of higher education to Korça and Vlora.
Environmental organizations: “Environmental massacre in Shkumbin”
In the area where the landslide occurred, work has been ongoing for two years to build two 1.1 km long tunnels as part of Corridor VIII. The project includes interventions near the Shkumbin Riverbed, an element that environmental organizations have previously denounced.
In a joint letter sent to Prime Minister Edi Rama, Minister of Environment Sofjan Jaupaj, as well as other authorities responsible for water resources management and environmental monitoring, 26 national and local organizations request urgent measures to respect environmental standards.
"The works have changed the natural morphology of the river, lowered the bed and increased the dynamics of the flow, destabilizing the banks and surrounding lands," the environmental activists said in a statement.
Besjana Guri, environmental activist and director of the “Lumi” center, says that the situation in Shkumbin is worrying. “The use of aggregates and the erosion of the Shkumbin riverbed, in order to build a road, have caused a series of environmental damages. Unfortunately, we are used to seeing how, in the name of development, rivers and nature are damaged. But what is happening with Shkumbin is among the most aggressive and careless interventions I have seen in the country,” Guri tells DW Albanian.
According to Guri, the extraction of aggregates directly from the river, the deposition of materials, and the deepening of the riverbed or the diversion of the flow have caused erosion and landslides.
"This endangers the lands of the residents, weakens the slopes along the river, and also puts the lives of travelers who currently use the road at risk," she adds.
The organizations are demanding urgent on-site inspection, verification of compliance with environmental permits, and full publication of technical documentation for the interventions carried out./ DW
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