Avlonas without water for the fourth day – Residents' anger is overflowing

Scenes of tension and indignation are unfolding in Vlora, where for the fourth consecutive 24 hours, thousands of households remain without drinking water, with daily life paralyzed and the patience of residents running out.

The lack of water supply has turned into an open social crisis. Since early morning, citizens gathered outside the city hall demanding immediate solutions, while representatives of collectives and opposition figures joined them. The protest soon became explosive, with those gathered attempting to enter the building and the police lining up to prevent the worst.

In a show of anger, protesters pounded the main entrance of the city hall with empty cans and bottles, demanding the mayor appear and provide clear answers. Police forces intervened to maintain order, while the atmosphere in the city remained highly charged.

According to the technical services, the cause of the outage is a serious damage to the main water supply pipe. Repeated attempts to repair it were unsuccessful, as the high pressure in the network caused new cracks at the repair points. The result was that entire neighborhoods were left without water, with some residents resorting to makeshift solutions or local sources.

To meet the most critical needs, hospitals and basic structures are temporarily supplied with water tankers, while dozens of tankers are moving around the city distributing bottled water. However, residents speak of insufficient measures and call for a permanent solution.

The crisis had already left its mark on the social life of Vlora, as a few days earlier citizens interrupted an event organized by the municipality, blocking a main road and coming into confrontation with the police.

For the first time, the mayor of Vlora, Bruna Mersini, spoke publicly, describing the problem as "extreme and unpredictable" and calling for it not to be used politically. As she stated, the final repair is underway, with critical spare parts arriving from abroad, while until then emergency solutions are being implemented.

The head of the state water service also appeared among the crowd, and was met with intense questions and protests. He claimed that he had been in Vlora for days, explaining that the damage was due to erosion of the soil under the pipeline and assured that with the arrival of special components, the problem would be permanently addressed.

Despite the assurances, residents remain cautious. For Vlora, the issue is no longer just the restoration of water supply, but also the avoidance of a repeat of the same crisis, which highlighted the chronic weaknesses of the city's infrastructure.