A stretch of land between Sokolović Kolonija, Hrasnica and Vojkovići, part of the first water‑protection zone for the Sarajevo field water source, is being turned into a large, uncontrolled dump, according to local witnesses and video taken by drone. The zone, covering about 210,000 square metres (21 hectares), is critical because the Željeznica River, flowing 40 metres from the site, feeds underground reservoirs that supply drinking water to a portion of the Sarajevo Canton.

Samir Avdić, a long‑time resident of Sokolović Kolonija and a representative of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the cantonal assembly (2022‑2026), described the situation as a 15‑year‑long practice of illegal gravel extraction, waste burial and even open‑air burning. He said that the excavation of gravel creates large pits, which are then filled with various types of waste – from construction debris to household rubbish – and that the waste is sometimes set on fire, causing several small fires during the past summer.

Avdić explained that several wells and pumping stations located in the zone draw water that is distributed to households in the canton. He emphasized that the ongoing activities jeopardise the water quality, especially amid a prolonged drought and reduced water supplies. “If the water from the Željeznica that feeds these fields is blocked by the massive amount of waste, the whole supply could be compromised,” he warned.

The Agency for Water Basin of the Sava River (Agencija za vodno područje rijeke Save) issued a statement in 2020 noting that it had received no permit for material extraction from the Željeznica riverbed in the Ilidža municipality and that such extraction was not advisable because of its direct link to the groundwater feeding the wells. The agency also declared that any sand or gravel extraction on the river banks would be illegal.

Responsibility for enforcing protection of the area is split among several bodies: the cantonal water utility Vodovod i kanalizacija (ViK), the cantonal Ministry of Economy, municipal, cantonal and federal inspection agencies, and the water‑basin agency. The Federal Administration for Inspection (FUZIP) has said that the canton and the municipality have jurisdiction over material extraction, while the Kantonal Inspection (KUIP) noted that overlapping competences have hampered effective action.

The legal framework dates back to a 1987 decision on protecting drinking‑water sources in the Sarajevo field, which stipulated penalties in former Yugoslav dinars – a provision that the cantonal government now admits is effectively unenforceable. In March of this year, the Sarajevo Canton Assembly adopted a draft temporary decision to update the protection measures, consulting hydrologists from the Faculty of Science and a 2013 study by the Institute for Water Management. Avdić hopes the new decision will clarify authority and introduce higher, enforceable fines.

Local residents have tried to stop the dumping and gravel extraction, sometimes encountering physical confrontations. They point to the lack of any fencing or supervision over most of the zone, except around the pumping stations, and note that much of the land is privately owned, including parcels belonging to the bankrupt construction company Vranica. Avdić reported that some trucks charge a fee for dumping waste on the site, further incentivising the illegal activity.

With the water source under threat, the community calls for immediate, coordinated enforcement and a clear legal mandate to protect the zone, warning that continued neglect could jeopardise the drinking water supply for thousands of Sarajevo residents.

Sources (learn more):

klix.ba — https://klix.ba/vijesti/bih/pogledajte-kako-izgleda-zona-iz-koje-sarajlije-piju-vodu-pretvorena-je-u-veliku-divlju-deponiju/261105200