News, November 2023

On 21.11.2023, the National Committee of Large Dams (ALBCOLD) organized the usual meeting of November 2023. In this meeting, several main issues were analyzed and reviewed as follows:

• Preparedness Plans in case of civil emergencies for the large dams used by the Municipality of Devoll. ALBCOLD reviewed the Preparedness Plans in the event of civil emergencies (PGEC) for the large dams of Koshnica 1, Grace, Baban, Selca, Trestenik, Borsh-Poloske, Vidohove, Poloske and Verlen that are used by the Municipality of Devoll. PGEC for the 9 large dams was prepared by the specialists of Devoll Municipality. KTPD recommended to the members of ALBCOLD to approve the PGEC presented by Devoll Municipality. ALBCOLD decided to approve the PGEC of 9 large dams that are used and administered by the Devoll Municipality. At the same time, ALBCOLD decided to ask the Municipality of Devoll to prepare flood maps and determine high-risk areas in cases of maximum water flows with recurrence once in 100 years, 1 time in 1000 years, and in case of possible damage of any of these dams as well as the preparation of projects for the installation of alarm systems in large dams that are at high risk for the loss of people’s lives in the urban areas below them in case of large flows or the possible destruction of any dam.

For more detailed information, please click Decision No. 41 of ALBCOLD, date 21.11.2023 here

• Review of the Regulation on the use, monitoring, and safety of large dams administered by the Municipality of Tirana. From the review of the documentation presented by the Municipality of Tirana, it was found that the Regulation prepared by the specialists of this Municipality was not prepared by the requirements of the above legislation, the requirements of the ALBCOLD for the drafting of the relevant regulations expressed in the Decision of the ALBCOLD No. 3, dated 19.10.2020. KTPD recommended to the members of the ALBCOLD not to approve the presented regulation for the use, operation, maintenance, monitoring, and safety of the dams used by the Municipality of Tirana due to the non-fulfillment of the requirements of the legislation in force and the instruction regarding the ALBCOLD mentioned above. ALBCOLD decided not to approve the Regulation on the Use, Operation, Maintenance, Monitoring, and Safety of dams used by the Municipality of Tirana submitted by the General Directorate of Roads and Public Lighting to this Municipality due to non-compliance with the requirements of the legislation in force and the Guidelines of given in Decision of ALBCOLD No. 3, dated 19.10.2020. At the same time, the ALBCOLD decided to ask the municipality of Tirana to prepare the regulation of use, maintenance, operation and safety for every large dam that is in operation and registered in the Register of large dams near the ALBCOLD used by the Municipality of Tirana, in accordance with the requirements of the article 29 of DCM No. 147, dated 18.03.2004 and the decision of ALBCOLD No. 03, dated 19.10.2020; The regulation must include the technical data for each dam, the purpose of using the dam and the reservoir, the regulation of monitoring the dam according to the requirements of article 31 and 32 of the above DCM, the Regulation for the tests that must be carried out in the discharge systems before the rainy season , the regulation of the use during the period of high and low water in function of the purpose of their use, the data for the safety group of the dam as well as the Preparedness Plan in case of civil emergencies for the dams that have a high risk in the urban areas below them

For more detailed information, please click Decision No. 42 of ALBCOLD, date 21.11.2023 here

• Review of the regulations for the use, monitoring, and safety of the dam of the artificial lake of Tirana owned by the Municipality of Tirana and administered by WC of Tirana. Referred to the review of the received documentation, it appears that the presented Regulation was drawn up in 1999 by the experts of the Institute of Studies and Hydrotechnical Designs under the conditions of regular operation of all the elements of the dam and control and monitoring of the dam according to the requirements of the project. Currently, the user of the dam has evidenced the non-operation of the discharge system and the blocking of the gates of this system, the lack of monitoring measurements for the behavior of the dam, measurements of filtration in the dam, and measurements of water levels in piezometric wells, etc. Also, this regulation was drafted before the entry into force of Law No. 8681 dated 02.11.2000, and DCM No. 147, dated 18.03.2004. Currently, the dam has been identified with numerous technical problems, the excess water discharge system is damaged and the work and repair gates of this system have been out of order for more than 20 years, the alarm system and control of the dam according to requests of the legislation in force is missing. In the area below the dam, the risk of loss of life has significantly increased due to construction and urban development in the entire area that may be flooded by maximum flows or the possible destruction of the dam, as well as warning measures in cases of civil emergencies due to large flows or the possible destruction of the dam.
• KTPD recommended to the members of ALBCOLD to ask the owner and administrator of the dam (WC of Tirana and Municipality of Tirana) to prepare a new and updated regulation with the current situation for the use, operation, maintenance, monitoring, and safety of the dam of the artificial lake of Tirana which it should take into consideration the problems mentioned above and the fulfillment of the requirements of the legislation in force and the relevant directive of the ALBCOLD mentioned above. ALBCOLD decided to ask the Municipality of Tirana and WC of Tirana to prepare the regulation of use, maintenance, operation, and safety for the dam and artificial lake of Tirana by the requirements of Article 29 of DCM No. 147, dated 18.03.2004 and the decision of ALBCOLD No. 03, dated 19.10.2020.
• The regulation must take into account all the problems and the current situation described in this Decision, including the technical data for the dam, the current purpose of using the dam and the reservoir, the regulation of the monitoring of the dam according to the requirements of Article 31 and 32 of DCM above, the Regulation for the tests that must be carried out in the discharge systems before the rainy period, the regulation of the use during the period of high and low water in the function of the purpose of its use, the data for the safety group of the dam as well as the contingency plan in cases of civil emergencies for this dam as a very high-risk dam in the urban areas below them.

For more detailed information, please click Decision No. 43 of ALBCOLD, date 25.11.2023 here