Filenews 2 February 2025
From now on, desalination plants will operate continuously, regardless of weather conditions and not occasionally, as until now, in order not to put pressure on dams and to provide irrigators with water, Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Maria Panayiotou said on Sunday.
"Cyprus is still dependent on weather conditions. Drought cycles are now more frequent. This will end or, if you like, it will be in much better shape with the completion of the program of 28 actions announced by the current Government and already underway," she said in statements on the sidelines of the Mandarin Festival in Arakapas, underlining that this "will be a difficult summer".
He noted that at the moment the WDD's goal is to continue the supply for water supply at 100%, while since last year "we are cutting back on our irrigators, but at the same time we are subsidizing and financing a series of systems that will help them make better water management and at the same time we are informing the EU institutions."
As he said, the Ministry promotes a holistic approach at a pan-European level on the issue. "I remind you of the last briefing we held at the Council of Agriculture Ministers on the issue, because what we are asking for at a pan-European level is a holistic approach to the issue, so that we can have practical support, both in infrastructure and of course to our farmers, who are proven to have lost income," he said.
Asked if farmers should expect more reduction in quantities for irrigation, he noted that "at the moment we are in even fewer quantities than last year", he said, because this year is the second dry year.
The reason for this, he added, is because, until now, desalination plants were used occasionally, that is, whenever there was a need. "This is now stopping. On my instructions it is something that comes to an end, because we cannot put further pressure on the dams. Using desalination occasionally means getting water from the dams we give to our irrigators. This stops. Desalination plants will be used continuously, regardless of weather conditions, to satisfy us 100%, with the implementation of the action plan we have explained, so that there are sufficient quantities in the dams for our irrigators," he continued.
Regarding mobile desalination plants and whether they will be available before the summer, he said anything can overcome any processes "we are already doing it. We are in consultation with both the Treasury and the Auditor General, we have already held meetings, the departments are in direct contact and where and where we can overcome some procedures we do so," he said.
He pointed out that at the moment a tender has already been made for the mobile desalination plant of Pafos, while there is already an open tender for other technologies "where we invite the market to come and inform us, to give us the relevant information to make even further contracts that will satisfy this purpose. At the moment we are within the timetables initially provided by the WDD and we continue with intensive pace and dedication," he said, noting, however, that this should not create any complacency.
"The state is doing everything possible, but it needs the cooperation of both local authorities and citizens. We should stop using water sparingly, it's a precious commodity now, so we need to stop wasting it," he said. He noted that the legislation does not provide for the issuance of a decree on the issue, but the Ministry is in consultation with the District Self-Government Organizations on how they should approach this issue. "They must have already received the relevant letter that I have requested from the Water Development Department to inform them. They should have their own springs and not use the water supply," he said.
He added that there are also overconsumption charges, which are applied and intensified even more, in order to be used as a disincentive for those who overconsume.
CNA
