Prime Minister Edi Rama on Tuesday inspected several flood-hit areas after the heavy rains that swept across Albania, starting with Durres, where the critical situation in the last few days was best handled thanks to the local government and relevant emergency crews, as well as the embankment built after the floods in the previous years.

Durres Mayor Emirjana Sako informed the government head on the current situation, with the flood waters have been prevented from overflowing most of the areas and the hotspots that used to be flooded regularly in the past, including the Sukth i Ri area and Erzen neighbourhood.

“We have built Erzen river levee. This river side is connected with the other side of the highway. Durres Municipality and the Water Drainage Board have invested in this segment. This is the administrative unit of Sukth and the administrative unit of Katund i Ri. The situation has significantly improved. In 2021, a total of 143 families were flooded in this administrative unit only and they have all received reimbursement of around 17 million lek in compensation for their damages to their homes and farmlands. The investment has prevented the river water from flooding the area this year. We have also intervened in the administrative unit of Katund i Ri too. A 1.2 km levee has been built along Erzen River. A huge swathe of this area used to be flooded in the past years. On the other hand, situation has been critical in certain parts of the city of Durres,” Durres Mayor said.

Prime Minister Rama said that the recent heavy downpour and the ensuing situation have somehow tested the government investments in infrastructure that helped for the situation to be handled much easier than in the past years. 

“This was indeed a huge test because of the torrential rain. However, situation in Durres is a lot better compared to the previous years when this area was regularly flooded and covered under water,” he said.

Certain isolated neighbourhoods in the former Durres Marshland area, where the illegally-constructed buildings make it almost impossible for the removal of flood waters in dozens of dwellings due to the torrential rains.