Filenews 8 July 2023 - by Ioanna Mantziria
Decisive are the decisions for the future of the Akrotiri wetland, a lake that lies under the umbrella of the Ramsar Convention.
The matter had been dragging on for some time and the margins for saving Aliki were quite narrow. Now the management committee will postpone providing solutions to the huge ecological disaster caused by the discharge of large quantities of rainwater due to large developments.
The issue was raised at a meeting yesterday at the Limassol Municipal Hall, in the presence of the Minister of Transport, Alexis Vafeades, the Commissioner for the Environment, Maria Panayiotou, officials, representatives of the British Bases, the Sala and the municipal authorities.
The meeting decided that the Sewerage Board of Limassol and Amathus will lead the effort to conduct a comprehensive study, based on timetables, with the ultimate goal of taking measures and resolving the problem. The management committee that will be set up will provide support to the SALA, while it would also have terms of reference to identify and plan interim measures.
In his statements, Mr. Vafeadis noted that "following the opinion of the General Prosecutor that the competence belongs to SALA, we are committed to provide as much support as necessary." He also stressed that all relevant ministries will then be involved in order to take the appropriate actions.
Environment Commissioner Maria Panayiotou said an important step had been taken in a region under enormous pressure. "We need to be proactive where possible, but also create a further balance in the region to protect it."
The Mayor of Limassol and President of the Board of Directors of SALA, Nikos Nicolaides, said that the issue has remained for three years "without proper treatment". He noted that "SALA will be given the resources, both administratively, financially and know-how, mainly to coordinate this process, with the aim of completing this strategic study as soon as possible and proceeding with the adoption of measures," he said.
