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Memëlisti, no space for a cemetery/ Residents demand urgent intervention

2026-04-27 12:36:00, Sociale CNA

The village of Mëmëlisht in Pogradec is facing a worrying situation regarding its cemeteries, which, according to residents, are on the verge of total overload.

Despite continuous notifications to local institutions, no concrete solution has been provided so far, while the community warns that soon there will be no more space for new burials.

Residents say that today there is no more space in the cemetery, while the situation has worsened over the years as a result of population growth and previous displacements.

One of the village residents says that the problem has long been known by institutions, but the lack of a concrete solution has faced families with a difficult reality, where the use of private land for burials is also being considered.

"The cemeteries of the village of Mëmëlisht are currently full and there is no place to place those who will die. The commune and the municipality have been notified and there is no solution. The problem remains here, if there is no solution, to take them and take them to the land that has the title deed. Each family should take the body of the deceased to their land and make it a complete village cemetery. The municipality knows, the commune has been notified, for a year or so. They have come from the Mokra area, the village of Çervenakë is settled there and they have all gathered in these cemeteries. There is no more room, they have been filled, now only the title deed remains. My personal opinion is that I cannot take them to the city cemetery, I will put them on my land. Now that is left, they should take the grandfather out of the grave and put the grandson in. There is no other way. It has been over 30 years since the dictatorship system collapsed and they were assigned there. They were transferred from the part that the factory occupied."

According to residents, this situation is also related to developments over the years and the lack of planning for the expansion of the cemetery. Another resident explains that the overflow has come as a result of the arrival of residents from other areas, as well as the lack of spaces dedicated to cemeteries since the moment of their relocation.

"They are overcrowded, for the sole reason that many people have come to our village from other areas, especially for Çervenaka, where the latter have no connection with the cemetery. They took the land with 7501 from the village of Mëmëlisht and did not leave a single piece of land for their cemetery. They have the cemetery in the village of Çervenaka above. At the time when the construction of the factory was going to begin, the cemetery was moved and came to where it is today, but it was a small place, because that was how big the village was at that time. Then, during the time of democracy, the village was added, but the place remained what it was. It has exceeded it, in fact, only the road that we enter to perform the funeral procedures is left. There may be room for 1 or 2 more years, but not more. In the face of obligations that the state does not even ask us about at all, we ask the state that we pay all the taxes; what is required of us, we have to delay it for a day, it adds VAT to us."

Meanwhile, residents emphasize that the lack of intervention from the municipality is forcing them to think of individual solutions to a problem that should be institutional. Another resident says that the situation has reached the point where families are being forced to look for space on their lands, while they are insistently demanding that a new location be designated for the village cemetery.

"We don't have room for cemeteries. Why do you say that? They've come; now that I, the locals, go to Zagorcana or somewhere else, is it worth it? We want them in our own land. The municipality hasn't taken any measures, we've asked that there's no room for cemeteries in Mëmëlisht. The graves are full, now we'll be forced to bury them on our own land. Where do I have, for example, the land that they gave me for 7501, to bury them there, because there's no room. As a village of Mëmëlisht, we want to have a place to bury our people. That's it. There's no place. Where the father is, there's no son, where the mother is, there's no daughter. They're far, far away. Why shouldn't I be here now, I have my father here, another one has come in between my father. I have the place over here. It was blocked, there's no more; let's look for a bramble to remove so we can bury it." "The people. That's it. We, as Memëlis, want a place for the cemetery. We open the moors to bury, there is no place. We ask that a place for the cemetery be designated as soon as possible."

On the other hand, the Municipality of Pogradec acknowledges the existence of this problem and emphasizes that work is being done to find a solution. According to it, the project and the relevant study are currently in the preparation phase, which also includes a geological assessment of the area due to the risk of landslides.

After the completion of these procedures, it is expected that the value of the properties will be determined and communication with the owners will begin, while the matter will then be passed on to the Municipal Council for approval, to continue with further steps to secure the area.

However, although the process has begun, there is still no clear deadline for the completion of the cemetery expansion. For the residents of Mëmëlisht, this situation remains urgent and requires a solution as soon as possible./ CNA