By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Part Four
Memorie.al / The extremely difficult situation the country is going through these days as a result of the bad weather is not “unheard music” for Albania. Floods, rivers overflowing their banks, and significant damage to agricultural lands, residential houses, private businesses, the economy, and infrastructure, seem to follow the same “refrain” for decades. History is repeating itself even in detail: 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 damage was tragic – not only in residential houses, entire villages under water, agricultural land, and livestock, the power and telephone networks destroyed, but also with dozens of human lives lost to avalanches and frost. So alarming was the situation that Enver Hoxha, although in serious health condition, is said to have followed the situation personally every day and urgently sent to the most hit areas several ministers and nearly half of the members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee, such as: Rita Marko, 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 per day on the situation in all districts of the country.
While nature follows its century-old ritual, time for our governance seems to have remained in place. Archival documents with the label “Secret” (extracted from the Archives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs) testify that the neuralgic points of 1985 are the same ones suffering today: North and East: The blocking of the Vermosh road and the districts of Mirdita, Puka, Kukës, Has, Tropoja, and Peshkopi. The Lezha and Kurbin area: Tale, Gjorm, Adriatik, the Droja river embankment, and the Thumana field. Central and Southern Albania: The Murrash turn, the Gjinar highlands, and the areas along the Devoll, Shkumbin, Osum, Vjosa, and Seman rivers, and their drainage pumping stations. 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 problem!” The above, etc., is made known through this cycle of writings with the archival documents and the respective facsimiles and 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.
SECRET REPORT-INFORMATIONS OF THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS ON THE BAD WEATHER WITH HEAVY RAIN AND SNOW THAT COVERED ALL OF ALBANIA ON JANUARY 7-15, 1985, AND THE DAMAGE CAUSED IN VARIOUS DISTRICTS FROM FLOODS, BLOCKING OF NATIONAL ROADS, SNOW AVALANCHES, ETC.
PEOPLE’S SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA SECRET
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Single Copy
GENERAL BRANCH Tirana, on 17.1.1985
OPERATIONAL COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 13
INFORMATION
BURREL
The roads Klos – Qafë-Buall, Krastë – Batër have been opened. The Burrel – Peshkopi road is functional, while others are not. Telephone lines Burrel-Krastë and with the Batër unit is working, while with the Ballenjë Police post, it is not working yet. In the village of Derjan, a house has collapsed; there are no victims, the family sheltered in another house.
PESHKOPI
The roads Peshkopi – Qafë Buallit, Peshkopi – Zall-Dardhë, Shupenzë – Lladomericë have been opened, while the others are not opened. The telephone network is working; with the Kala e Dodës Border Point, it works through civil lines; with Gjonovec, it is worked with “Storno” radio. The electrical network in the district and at the border is working in order.
KUKËS
The roads Kalimash – Kukës (factory), Kukës – Morinë, Kukës up to the Gjegjan mine, Kukës – Bicaj, and Krumë village of Tregan have been opened. These roads are passed only by large vehicles, while other roads do not function. The Internal Branch has a direct connection with the Morinë Border Point, while other border posts are taken from civil lines. A group from the Branch has gone for the repair of damaged lines. The electrical network in the district is working in order.
RRESHEN
The roads Rreshen – Spaç, Rreshen – Kurbnesh, Rreshen – Qaf-Dene, towards Puka, Rreshen – Kaçinar have been opened, while other roads are not opened yet. From the district of Fier to Rreshen, three convoys with food arrived; today they will leave for the Fan area, the road of this area opens today. The corpse of the convict in Spaç has not been discovered yet; work is being done for its discovery. In the shaft of the Kurbnesh mine, it does not function; two electro-pumps are working to extract the water because electrical energy is missing. Work is being done for extracting the water with a vertical pump. Today, two more such will be sent.
PUKA
The Pukë – Shkodër road functions; Pukë – Fushë-Arrëz is blocked in the Rrap area, work is being done for its opening, while other roads do not function. The connection with the areas of the district and with the Qafë-Bari unit is working. The electrical network functions.
TROPOJA
The roads Bajram-Curr – Sopot have been opened, while the road Bajram-Curr – Fierzë works with interruptions, whereas other roads are not opened. The connection at the border works with Lumi i Gashit, worked by civil lines. The electrical network in the district works, but due to a short circuit in the network, last night the areas of Bujan, Gegë-Hysen, and Plan had no light, which are being fixed today.
THE ROADS ARE OCCUPIED (BLOCKED)
- With Kukës
- With Tropoja
- With Puka
- With Peshkopi
- and Pogradec with Korça.
- Qafë-Krraba is blocked.
- Qafa e Qarrit is blocked.
The telephone lines do not work with the districts:
Berat, Shkodër, Krujë, Gjirokastër, Pogradec, Lezhë, Burrel, Korçë, Sarandë, Tropojë.
The communication functions in order by radio.
Snow is falling in the districts of Peshkopi, Librazhd, Durrës, Vlorë.
INFORMATION
KUKËS
Work is being done for opening the main road and has reached Kalimash. The telephone network works in order.
PESHKOPI
The main road worked with interruptions last night; only heavy cars pass, not buses. The road with Selishta, with Kukës, and Bajram-Curri does not work. The road with Bulqiza is opened. The telephone network is in order.
TROPOJA
The road up to Fierzë and Sopot works. The telephone network works, while the electrical one is in order, except for Lumi i Gashit, where the lighting in the post is done by motor.
PUKA
The road with Shkodra works with difficulty. Also, the road of Fushë-Arrëz is opened. The road with Bajram-Curri, Kukës, and Qafë-Bari does not work. The telephone network is in order, excluding that of Mërtur village.
RRESHEN
The Kurbnesh – Spaç roads are opened. Work continues for the opening of the Kaçinar road, the telephone network is in order, except for two or three villages which have no connection.
BURREL
The Bulqizë – Qafë-Buall road works. The roads Qafë-Bualli – Batër, Plani i Bardhë – Qafë-Buall do not work, for which work is being done to open them.
SHKODRA
The road to Tamarë works, the internal transit functions until near Cukal. The telephone network is in order. In Vermosh, lighting is done by motor.
OFFICER ON PERMANENT DUTY
INFORMATION
TROPOJA
10 cm of new snow has fallen. The connection functions in order in all border posts. (Lumi i Gashit border post only by radio). The automobile roads to Fierzë, Cernajë, Ragam, and Tropojë are open. For the supply of the people, there are no concerns.
Wild boars have wounded a villager to whom medical help was given by the village infirmary. There have also been two other cases when wild boars have attempted to eat [attack] military personnel of border posts. (In one case they have killed it [the boar]).
PESHKOPI
Snow has not fallen. The telephone connection with border posts functions in order. (With Gjinovec border post it is secured by radio through another post). The automobile roads that are opened are circulated.
KUKËS
There have been weak snowfalls. The telephone lines with border posts function. (Dobrunë and Vlanë border posts are connected through civil lines). The automobile road Kukës – Fushë-Arrëz is open up to Shëmri.
PUKA
Telephone lines function. The condition of the automobile roads is bad. There is sliding from the ice.
SHKODRA
Telephone lines and automobile roads function in order. There are no concerns for the supply.
BURREL
Automobile roads and the connection function. There is no concern for the supply.
RRESHEN
The telephone connection functions in order. The automobile road Rrëshen – Fushë-Arrëz is open up to the border with Puka.
HEAD OF READINESS
ENVER GOXHAJ
INFORMATION
From the date 21-22.1.1985, there has been no precipitation in the northern areas. There has been an increase in temperatures and slight melting of snow. The road condition appears as follows:
KUKËS has open the roads Kukës – Bicaj, Kukës – Gjegjan, (plant) Kukës – Krumë, and Kukës – Shemri, where 2-3 km are left to be opened. The connection with border posts is in order, with the exception of Planë and Dobrunë posts.
TROPOJA has open the road Bajram-Curri – Fierzë, Sopot – Ragam. Other roads are blocked. The connection with border posts is in order, with the exception of Gashi where it is done by radio.
DIBRA has open the national road Burrel – Dibër, there is difficulty of passage at Qafë-Buall. The connection with border posts is in order, with the exception of Gjinovci where it is done by radio.
PUKA, work continues for the opening of the Qafë-Mali – Lajthizë road. It is predicted that within the hour 10.00 it will be fully opened.
RRESHEN, the automobile road to Puka is open up to the border between the two districts. The road to Kurbnesh is open, but there is difficulty of passage.
BURREL, the Batër – unit road continues to remain blocked.
OFFICER ON PERMANENT DUTY
INFORMATION
KUKËS
The Kukës – Fush-Arrëz road is open, Shemiri – Kukës, opened with two lanes, with pockets, Lajthizë – Shemri, is open with one lane. The started convoy has not yet arrived in the city of Kukës, it is in travel. This is for the reason that from the melting of snow, large pieces fall and the road is occupied.
TROPOJA
The road condition is that of yesterday.
SHKODRA
Only the Vermosh road is blocked.
DIBRA
Only “The Road of Light” [Rruga e Dritës] continues to remain blocked. The Peshkopi – Bulqizë road has difficulty for passage only for small cars. Memorie.al
OFFICER ON PERMANENT DUTY
FLORIAN KOLANECI
