“When it was learned in Tirana that we built a tunnel over 1 km., under the city, Kadri Hazbiu came urgently with Adil Çarçani and…”/ The rare testimony of the former soldier, about the rare object of Saranda

By Agron Mema        

Vangjel Dhima: “On each side of the tunnel there are constructions sites for a hospital in wartime, a printing press, a bakery, a flour factory, there are 35 rooms”!

Memorie.al / Below the hill of the Monastery of the 40 Saints, at the intersection with the plane tree at the entrance to the city of Saranda, the tunnel where the underground Saranda lies begins, a tunnel that ends in the Volloder hills. Vangjel Dhima, former head of the military sector at the Saranda ALP committee, tells how and why this tunnel with the underground city was built and expresses the surprise of the silence so far and its lack of use.

Mr. Vangjel, it is said that there is an underground tunnel in Saranda, where the main institutions of the city lie inside it in cases of civil emergencies. What can you tell us about this?

Yes. The truth is that such a tunnel exists. Its construction began in 1974 and was completed in 1981. The special thing is that this tunnel was built without government funds, with voluntary contributions and the government did not know that such a tunnel was being built here…!

How and why was it kept so secret, when we are talking about a time when there was a state that controlled everything?

The decision for this tunnel was made by the Defense Headquarters of the Saranda district, which included the first secretary of the Party Committee, deputy chairman, chairman of the Executive Committee, the commander of the Division, the commander of the Volunteer Forces, the chairman of the Internal Affairs Branch, etc. It was the time of the harsh years of the Cold War and fortification was in the foreground. Measures had to be taken to shelter the population in cases of aggression or natural disasters. It was a major task. Where would this people go in such situations?!

In these conditions and situations, it was thought that the existing 70-80 meter tunnel would emerge on the other side of the hill, in Qafë-Gjashtë on the Volloder hills, in a square facing the village of Bregas. So it was decided, but where would the funds be found? But this also found a solution. By planning the fortification with fire centers and defense centers from each enterprise, which was legal at the time, we decided to reduce the number of construction of these centers in exchange for the workforce, available to the MCR Brigade, which would deal with the opening of the tunnel. And so it was done. The freight park, the municipal enterprise, the NPN, the salt mine, etc. made a great contribution. This contribution lasted five years, until this tunnel-city was completed.

What’s inside the tunnel?

As I said, the tunnel was completed in 1981 and is 1080 meters long, 3.5 meters wide and 3.5 meters high. The topographer who planned and directed the drilling work, Niko Qiricin, was given to us by the salt mine at our disposal. On each side of the tunnel there are construction sites for a wartime hospital, a printing house, a bakery, a flour factory, there are 35 rooms completed and ready for emergency situations, with premises for the party committee and the executive committee. The rooms are secured with steel doors, hermetic to protect against chemical and atomic attacks. Likewise, all electrical installations have been hermetically insulated to prevent damage from moisture. The tunnel has two main entrances and a branch that leads to these rooms, as well as a square where 20 rooms for the command of the Volunteer Forces have been built.

For these rooms in the square at the exit of the tunnel, I proposed the idea of ​​a nursing home, but no one listened to me. I wonder why this tunnel is not used today, either as a tourist asset, but I also proposed the idea of ​​passing the water pipeline, saving millions that were used to build the water tank, about 600 thousand euros. But it is also used as a highway, shortening many roads and easing the traffic that was destroyed in the city. Near these underground squares, signs could be placed showing how they would function during the war. The possibilities are numerous, but it has been forgotten. This shows what human power is capable of doing with voluntary contributions.

Although it was very brave to keep such a construction a secret from the state of that time, when they found out, what did they say?

Kadri Hazbiu was the first to come and walked through the tunnel from the entrance to the exit, thanking us and saying that; we have done a miracle. Then Adil Çarçani came and told the first secretary of the Party Committee, Jashar Menzelxhiu, that; “You have done a masterpiece and without worrying the government about funds, because when the Sasaj tunnel was built, the entire Political Bureau was involved in it. And you did not ask for anything from us, good for you”! Today it seems worthless, but it can be used to shelter the population in cases of natural disasters and not to be neglected!

That tunnel is the salvation of the city of Saranda and should not be abandoned, as thorns have covered it at its exit. And another curiosity, as mystical as it is real. During the construction of the tunnel, a 500-meter chimney opened up vertically by itself, which served as a fan. From inside the tunnel, the sky could be seen. This natural chimney cleaned the air from the pollution of the mines and explosives that were used. Those workers were heroes and expressed their gratitude. Memorie.al

Thank you Mr. Vangjel!