By Dashnor KALOÇI
Part two
Memorie.al / The extremely difficult situation the country is passing through these days as a result of bad weather are not unheard-of “music” for Albania. The floods, rivers bursting their banks, and significant damage to agricultural lands, residential houses, private businesses, economy, and infrastructure seem to follow the same “refrain” for decades. History is repeating itself even in details: exactly 41 years ago, precisely on January 7, 1985, a similar polar weather “brought the country to its knees,” from south to north. At that time, the damages were tragic – not only in residential houses, entire villages under water, agricultural lands and livestock, destroyed power and telephone networks, but also with dozens of lives lost to avalanches and frost.
The situation was so alarming that Enver Hoxha, although in serious health condition, is said to have personally followed the situation every day and urgently sent some of the ministers and nearly half of the members of the Politburo of the Central Committee to the hardest-hit areas, such as; Besnik Bekteshi, Hekuran Isai, Prokop Murra, Pali Miska, Muho Asllani, Simon Stefani, etc. Archival documents testify to an extraordinary mobilization, where the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its Branches in the districts reported two to three operational communiqués a day on the situation across all districts of the country.
While nature follows its centuries-old ritual, time for our governance seems to have stood still. Archival documents marked “Secret” (extracted from the Archives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs) testify that the neuralgic points of 1985 are the same ones suffering today: The North and East: The blocking of the Vermosh road and the districts of Mirditë, Pukë, Kukës, Has, Tropojë, and Peshkopi. The Lezha and Kurbin area: Tale, Gjorm, Adriatik, the Droja river embankment, and the Thumana plain. Central and Southern Albania: The Murrash turn, the Gjinari highlands, and the areas along the Devoll, Shkumbin, Osum, Vjosa, and Seman rivers, and their pumping stations (hidrovoret). From the southeast to the southwest: From Korça and Erseka, to the Drino river in Gjirokastër or Bashaj-Matogjin in Vlora.
In this old and new map of floods, only one city was an exception in January 1985. According to the communiqués of the Ministry of Interior: “Durrës has no problems”! The above, etc., is made known through this series of writings with archival documents, facsimiles, and relevant photos that Memorie.al publishes for the first time, shedding light on one of the harshest winters of the last century and the shocking similarity with the challenges that haunt us today.
Continued from the previous issue
REPORT – SECRET INFORMATION OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS, ON THE SEVERE WEATHER WITH HEAVY RAIN AND SNOWFALL THAT ENVELOPED ALL OF ALBANIA FROM JANUARY 7–15, 1985, AND THE DAMAGES CAUSED IN VARIOUS DISTRICTS BY FLOODS, BLOCKAGES OF NATIONAL ROADS, AVALANCHES, ETC.
PEOPLE’S SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA SECRET
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS | Sole Copy
GENERAL BRANCH Tirana, on January 10, 1985
INFORMATION
KUKËS
On January 9, 1985, Dyl Kadri Hoxha, aged 34, and Osmal Elezi, chairman of the agricultural cooperative of Tregtan village, while returning from the cooperative’s stables, fell into a stream; as a result of an avalanche, Dyli died, while Osmani was injured.
PUKA
On January 9, 1985, the Puka radio station was left without electricity due to a severed line. On January 9, 1985, the following were found dead from an avalanche in the village of Iballë: Mark Marashi, chairman of the United Council, and Kol Staka, aged 35, a cooperative member.
On January 9, 1985, in the village of Berishë e Epërme, 7 people were pulled dead from the snow after being struck by an avalanche: Hil Mala, aged 28; Gjon Kamberi, aged 34; Prend Marashi, aged 28; Drane Kamberi, aged 28; Pal Malaj, aged 18; Zef Smajli, aged 25; and Pal Pali, aged 18.
GJIROKASTRA
On January 9, 1985, as a result of the rains, a tobacco hangar collapsed in the Vrisera agricultural cooperative, and a sheep stable was damaged; in the “Asim Zeneli” agricultural cooperative, three sheep stables and one tobacco hangar were damaged.
In the Lunxhëri Agricultural Enterprise, 35 hectares of wheat and 15 hectares of alfalfa were flooded, while in the “Muzo Asqeri” Agricultural Enterprise, 22 hectares of wheat were flooded. In the city of Gjirokastra, the water supply system was flooded, leaving 75% of the population without water.
CHAIRMAN OF THE GENERAL BRANCH
BAUDIN KAZANI
Weather status at 12:00 PM on January 10, 1985
INFORMATION
PESHKOPI
The weather continues to be severe. It is snowing across the entire territory. The Peshkopi–Kukës roads are occupied [blocked], while on the Peshkopi–Bulqizë route, passage is difficult. Communication at the Gjinovec post has been interrupted since January 8, 1985.
On January 9, 1985, the post commissar, a non-commissioned officer, and a soldier departed from the Trebisht post, but it is unknown whether they arrived or not; to verify this, as of 9:30 AM today, a non-commissioned officer, three soldiers, and villagers have departed in that direction.
KUKËS
The weather continues to be severe; it is snowing both in the city and in deep areas where the depth has reached up to 3 meters. Roads are blocked in all directions. Measures have been taken for their opening. Communication with the border posts of Orgjost, Borje, and Shishtavec has been interrupted. Supply is regular. There are no [other] incidents.
MATI
It is snowing and raining. The Batra road continues to be blocked. Toward Bulqizë, it functions with difficulty. The persons who departed toward Peshkopi are currently traveling toward it.
SHKODRA
The road to Puka is not operational. Likewise, roads are blocked to Rrapsh, Vermosh, and Shllak. The telephone line to Tamara and Vermosh is not working.
TROPOJA
Roads are blocked. It continues to snow. With Dragobia, communication is maintained via radio. There are no concerns.
1:30 PM, January 10, 1985
INFORMATION
LUSHNJA
As a result of heavy rainfall, 2,380 hectares of land have been flooded so far, of which 1,000 hectares are wheat, 600 hectares are forage, and 780 hectares are unplanted land. The hydrovores [pumping stations] of Karavasta and Bishtuka are functioning properly but are unable to cope with the heavy waters because the inflow is greater than their capacity. The rivers are within their beds and there is no risk of flooding. Communication is functional.
VLORA
The weather is good; there is no concerning situation.
PUKA
It is snowing, roads are not operational. In the city, there is over 2 meters of snow. The radio station is in order and functioning well. There are no obstacles to its supply. The persons who departed have passed Gomsiqe.
OPERATIVE GROUP
2:00 PM, January 10, 1985
INFORMATION
PUKA
Comrade Ferit Zeneli, who departed toward Puka, has remained in Gomsiqe; he cannot continue the journey to Puka, nor can he return to Shkodra; he requests a “Tatra” [truck/snowplow] to clear the road to return to Shkodra.
OFFICER ON DUTY
INFORMATION
On January 10, 1985, in the ‘Mujaj’ neighborhood of Shtiqen village, 15 houses were damaged by an avalanche, where 7 people died, 16 were seriously injured, and one child has not been found.
On January 11, 1985, in Vila village, an avalanche struck two houses with 19 persons. Of these, 5 emerged in very critical condition, 3 are dead, and 11 have not yet been found.
MIRDITA
On January 10, 1985, an avalanche fell on the Re-education Camp 303 in Spaç, where it collapsed the clothing warehouse, the bakery, and half of the food warehouse. On January 10, 1985, the Mirdita Internal Affairs Branch reported that Re-education Camp 303 in Spaç has no electricity, and lighting is provided by a motor. They have fuel only for today.
KRUJA
On January 10, 1985, in the village of Bruz-Zall, a goat stable collapsed from the snow, resulting in the death of 5 head of livestock.
KORÇA
Motor roads are open in all directions. The Korçë–Ersekë telephone line is not working. There are no concerning problems. It continues to snow.
ERSEKA
Roads are open. The Korçë–Ersekë telephone line is not working. It continues to snow.
POGRADECI
Roads are passed with difficulty. Communication with villages in deep areas and border posts is regular. The Pogradec–Korçë telephone line is not working. Measures are being taken for its repair. It continues to snow.
LIBRAZHDI
Roads to neighboring cities are open, with the exception of the Qarrishta area. Post-Telegraph telephone lines with villages are not working, while those of border posts are in order, except for Qarrishta.
GJIROKASTËR
The city’s water supply has not been repaired yet. About 75% of the city is without water. The telephone line to Jorgucat has been interrupted. Measures have been taken for its repair. It continues to snow.
PËRMETI
There is about 18 cm of snow in the city. There are no concerning problems.
SARANDA
The weather is good; water levels are receding. There are no concerning problems.
ELBASANI
There is no telephone communication with the villages of Zavalinë, Shmill, Qafë-Shmill, Gjinar, Labinot, Mëlizë, and Gracen, and the situation there is unknown. 15 hectares of wheat in the Elbasan Agricultural Enterprise and 20 hectares of unworked land of agricultural cooperatives have been flooded.
Due to heavy rainfall, there are landslides near the Mjekës plant, which is at risk. Measures have been taken to avoid collapses. Regarding water levels and the Murrash reservoir in Librazhd, there are no data. Rainfall continues.
DURRËS
The level of the Shkumbin River at 11:30 AM at the Rrogozhina Bridge was 1.60 meters. Communication with distant villages is regular. There is no flooding.
FIERI
The water level of the Vjosa at 9:10 AM today was 4.20 meters and is receding. The Seman River is at 3.15 meters and is receding. There is regular telephone connection with border posts, and there are no concerning problems. So far, 8,000 hectares of land have been flooded, of which 3,100 are wheat, 2,913 forage, and 1,987 unplanted lands. The weather continues to be severe; it is raining.
BERATI
Due to snowfall, the Tërpan–Përmet and Sinjë–Shpirag motor roads are blocked. The level of the Seman River at Ura Vajgurore was 2.18 meters at 10:30 AM today, from a critical level of 3.50 meters. The water is receding. Communication with all deep villages is regular and there are no concerns.
Regarding Puka, besides the reported problems, there are no other issues. It continues to snow. / Memorie.al
PERMANENT OFFICER ON DUTY
To be continued in the next issue
