Nové Heřminovy - When the issue of a river dam in the Jeseníky mountains was discussed in parliament in April, inhabitants of Nové Heřminovy, a small village in northern Moravia, hoped that Environment Minister and head of the Green Party Martin Bursík would vote against the project.
They were wrong.
Bursík voted for the dam, and thus having disappointed the local people, environmental activists as well as a large part of the Green Party in Moravian-Silesian Region. They supported the locals and were strictly against the dam.
Beating a dead horse?
Now, Minister Bursík took pains to visit the place himself Monday.
Three months after the project was approved, he tried to explain to the locals that the dam is a good thing that includes environmentally friendly measures. Bursík also presented projects aimed at boosting the regional development.
"It is too late," say the locals who have been long trying to persuade the Agriculture and Environment Ministries that the project is unnecessary.
Mayor of Nové Heřminovy Radovan Jílka, nonetheless, claims he will never consent with a project that would flood his municipality.
According to the locals, it is now pointless to debate, since the issue has been already approved by parliament.
"It has been decided without us and it is only now that somebody comes and asks us what our opinion is," said Mayor Jílka.
Before the project was approved, Bursík was asked twice by the people of Nové Heřmínovy to come and see the place for himself.
They even had a water management expert prepare an analysis that explained the dam project would be of no use. The Environment Ministry didn't react to any of these appeals.
CZK 200 mil as compensation
The dam on the Opava river is supposed to protect 26,000 inhabitants of Krnov from floods. In Nové Heřminovy, 56 locales will be flooded, including 26 residential buildings. The government will compensate the property owners with some CZK 200 million.
The locals see the approval of the dam project as an injustice. They expected to have their say, too. They are quick to point out the Green Party claimed that they would oppose all large hydraulic engineering works before the 2006 elections.
And the local inhabitants are not alone in feeling bitter.
Outrage among local Greens
Ivo Dokoupil from environmental NGO Hnutí Duha (Rainbow Movement) sees the minister's visit as "foolish". Green Party MP for Ostrava region Věra Jakubková also doesn't approve of Bursík leading a debate with citizens when there is no chance of reversing the government's decision.
"It is ironic that something like that happened with the Green Party which advocates maximal participation of the public in decision-making," said Jakubková, adding that most Green Party members from northern Moravia feel outraged at Bursík's approach.
Northern Moravian Green Party officials called on the party leaders to discuss all decisions that concern their region.
