Fiks Fare/ Investing 16.6 million euros “in the canal”, how the World Bank’s irrigation project in Fier failed

Residents of the villages in Patos, namely Zharrza, Sheqishte, Frashëri and Novosela, complained to the editors of the investigative show. According to the complaints, accompanied by a video, an investment was made in the area in 2016, for the irrigation of agricultural lands, but a part of the project was damaged.

But, a part of the channel made in 2016 and 2017 was damaged and large diameter pipes were installed. But those pipes were thrown into the canal. Fiks Fare learned that investment had been made in that area in recent years, even the money was given by the World Bank.

According to the documents available to “Fiks Fare”, the irrigation project of the Kurjan – Strum scheme was started in 2016 by the Ministry of Agriculture. Even, according to a document, public hearings were held in June 2016, as it is written that the financing agencies are the World Bank and the Swedish Agency for International Development. A month later, the Ministry of Agriculture prepared management plans for the rehabilitation of irrigation schemes. Even, according to the accompanying map, irrigation would be possible from Strum to Roskovec to Zharrëz i Patosi, on the border with Fier.

In October 2016, the Ministry of Agriculture opened the tender, where one of the schemes included was “Kurjan-Strum”, with a coverage area of ​​4,730 ha and a length of main and secondary canals of 88 km. On December 9, 2016, the Ministry of Agriculture announced the winner of the contract “rehabilitation of 5 irrigation schemes” of lot 1, which included the Kurjan-Strum scheme. The value of this tender was 2 billion new lek, or about 16.6 million euros.

But, although so much money has been thrown, part of the channel does not work. One of the canals reconstructed in 2017, which receives water from the Kurjani Catchment and sends it to the agricultural lands of the villages of Novoselë, Sheqishte, Frashër and Zharres, is not functional. About 500 hectares of agricultural land should be irrigated with this canal. The camera of Fiks Fare filmed the pipes thrown on the side of the canal, which have a very large diameter. According to the information, these pipes should have been used to carry water to that place, as the canal runs on a hill and the place of the pipes is lower than the canal below.

Fiksi talked to some residents of Zharrza, who complain that they don’t have water in their agricultural lands. According to them, they have built wells, while there is no water in the canals. They show that, on a hill near Zharrza, which receives water for irrigation from the Kurjani Watershed, in Roskovec, several pipes have been installed, which are not working.

According to them, agriculture has been neglected, while for irrigation they use wells and whatever they can. They further claim that, before the 90s, Zharrza had a reservoir from which it was irrigated, but now it has been taken over by the private sector and is not working.

After ascertaining the problems, Fiks Fare journalists spoke with Lindita Boccollin, specialist at the Directorate of Irrigation and Drainage in Fier, which manages all the primary irrigation channels. She also showed the irrigation scheme in the area, while specifying that the water in that canal went from the Kurjani Watershed. But on the day the Fiks Fare film crew went, the water was cut off due to the flooding of an agricultural crop with wheat, due to a broken canal. She says that in 2016 and 2017 there was an investment from the World Bank for the irrigation scheme from the Kurjan Reservoir, which also includes the canal to Sheqishte, Zharrez, Novoselë and Frashër.

According to her, the channel is made with concrete lining, while journalists asked her why the pipes were placed in that area. The specialist showed that in that place there was a landslide in the area and a study was done to make the water in that place pass through large pipes, since in that area, the canal turns into a lake. However, this investment did not work, as the water in the canal raised the large diameter pipes from the level, and as a result those pipes were removed and placed outside the canal. According to her, the water now goes through the old system and that the Director is cleaning the channel. But another geological study or investment will be needed for that channel to be 100% functional.