Filenews 11 June 2022 - by Dora Christodoulou
In recent years, Pafos, Geroskipou and Chlorakas have been promoting a huge project on their coastline, in an effort to halt the significant erosion that was observed in the previous decades and that reached, in some areas, up to the unprecedented level of 40 or even 70 metres. With the shielding of the coastline having already been achieved to a significant extent, although the works are still in progress, or under planning in some places, the Local Authorities have focused this two-year period on qualitative upgrades of the services offered on their beaches, creating a product that is noticeably upgraded.
Already the first phase of the works on the southern coastal front of Geroskipou – Kato Pafos, has been completed and now in full progress is the design and study of the second phase. On the coastline of Geroskipou and Kato Pafos, up to the Municipal Bathrooms, the new breakwaters with a total cost of €11.5 million are now a project integrated into European funds.
The continuation of the planning, however, seems to be overturned recently due to the objections expressed by competent Departments: The placement of breakwaters on the southwest coast of the municipalities of Pafos and Geroskipou, as proposed by the Local Authorities, caused intense concern to the Environmental Authority, something that it took seriously into account in the consent it gave for the proposed projects. In the context of significant pressures for the development of coastal areas and the formation of sandy beaches, local authorities are putting forward the "protection and improvement of the coastal front from erosion", something that in fact does not seem to be documented, the Environmental Authority argued in early May.
In its opinion, it expresses its concern about the universal application of the proposed projects throughout the area under study, arguing that the area of the problem is limited, thus questioning the need to implement the proposed projects throughout the study area.
It also cites the importance of the study area on issues of marine environment and underwater antiquities and the serious, negative and irreversible impacts that are expected to arise on the coastal and marine environment from the implementation of all proposed projects.
The Environmental Authority has no objection to the construction of part of the project, which concerns two of the six sub-areas in total, while in the context of a consultation between the Municipality of Geroskipou and the Department of Antiquities, no intervention in the sea area and the coastline is allowed, from the cove in front of the hotel "Constantinou Bros Pioneer Beach" to the bay in front of the hotel "Louis Phaethon Beach".
Upgrade projects
The improvements of the coastline in Paphos and Geroskipou are not limited to the marine works. In Geroskipou already last year they concern large-scale improvements in the land area, since gymnastics equipment granted by the CSO, lighting up to the river of Acheleia, as well as assistance systems for people with disabilities worth €100,000 are placed along the beach, with the support of the Deputy Ministry of Tourism.
In Paphos, for a few days now, the Local Authority has also begun improvement works on the "trademark" of its beaches, the Municipal Baths of Kato Pafos. After the award that followed the relevant tender notice of the Municipality of Pafos, the project is now on the rails with the start of the improvement works and with the aim that in 2022 one of the most emblematic and crowded areas of Pafos will appear with a modern and more attractive face.
As of January 2022, similar shielding procedures are underway on the western coastline of the Pafos district and in particular on the community of Chlorakas. The Minister of Transport, Communications and Works, Yiannis Karousos, attended, at the end of that month, a ceremony held at the Community Council of Chlorakas, the signing of the contracts for the construction of five parallel breakwaters and a ramp for the lifting / launching of boats on the beach "Alykes" with the successful contractor. The construction is expected to take 24 months.
