Filenews 9 August 2025 - by Angelos Nicolaou
The devastating fires that have recently hit areas of Limassol and Paphos, have brought to the fore a chronic and dangerous problem: the continued creation and negligence of illegal garbage dumps in the Cypriot countryside. According to information, several fires started in areas where uncontrolled garbage and waste had been deposited, sharply increasing the risk of ignition, either intentionally to reduce the volume of waste, especially in the midst of summer high temperatures.
The existence of these garbage dumps, often near forest areas and Natura 2000 sites, remains one of the most critical points of ignition of fires. Despite the existing provisions in the legislation, many Communities and Municipalities do not adequately fulfil their obligations for cleaning the premises, resulting in public safety being endangered.
With the aim of identifying and monitoring problem areas, the Department of Environment has proceeded to map more than 600 possible points of uncontrolled disposal, using GIS software and satellite images.
The data has already been sent to the Associations of Municipalities and Communities, so that the Local Authorities can be informed and take action, both to clean the points and to submit a request for financial support, where possible.
Uncontrolled Waste Disposal Sites (LANDFILLs) are not only an aesthetic nuisance but literally ticking time bombs. Fires, either due to self-ignition or human negligence, have piles of garbage as a frequent starting point, as the experts of the Department of the Environment emphasize.
Indicatively, at the Paphos landfill, the competent authorities have already mobilized for the restoration of parts of the site that are not used and present an increased risk of self-ignition, while cooperation with the Department of the Environment is in progress.
The current legislation, through the Municipal and Municipal Laws, makes Local Authorities responsible for the cleanliness of public and private spaces. The Council of each Community shall control and prevent the accumulation of waste and shall ensure that special disposal sites are set up and maintained. In addition, it is legalized to proceed with cleaning works of private plots when the owners do not comply, imposing the costs on them.
At the same time, the Troodos Communities Complex calls for the tightening of the law, proposing the institutionalization of mandatory cleaning of open spaces by the owners, with the provision of a fine or even a criminal offense in cases of negligence.
During a joint session of the Parliamentary Committees on the Interior, Agriculture and the Environment, the Minister of the Interior, Konstantinos Ioannou, acknowledged the shortcomings in the clearing of agricultural land and the necessity of strengthening Local Authorities. He said that this year the Ministry has allocated a budget of €1 million for 16 Community Clusters, neighbouring forests, in order to remove vegetation and garbage from hazardous areas.
So far, only 35% of the budget has been absorbed, which raises concerns about the ability of local structures to respond quickly.
The campaign #WasteFreeCyprus
Responding to the need to limit uncontrolled garbage dumps, the Department of the Environment continues the #WasteFreeCyprus campaign for the second year. Since the start of the action in 2024, 106 Local Authorities have participated in the cleaning of 269 illegal dumping points, removing more than 21,500 cubic meters of waste, equivalent to about 4,300 tons of garbage or 286 trucks.
In 2025, the effort has intensified, with 300 new cleaning points already approved for support in cooperation with 76 Local Authorities, while an additional 80 requests are being examined. The total financial support for this year exceeds €1,473,000, with a maximum amount of €30,000 per Authority, especially in areas of high risk for fire outbreaks.
An important part of the campaign is the placement of inspectors, appointed by the Local Authorities themselves, to monitor the points and prevent the phenomenon from happening again.
Illegal garbage dumps are not only a source of fire. As the Department of the Environment explains, Uncontrolled Waste Disposal Sites (LANDFILLs) contribute to groundwater pollution, the release of toxic gases and the existence of uncontrolled ignitions and explosions, causing odours and public health risks.
This year, particular importance is given to the participation of civil society. More than 15 voluntary and non-governmental organizations, in collaboration with the Pancyprian Volunteering Coordinating Council, participate in actions to clean parks, beaches and streets, without the use of machinery.
The Department of the Environment strengthens these groups with basic materials (gloves, bags), promoting collective responsibility and a change of mentality.
Ecampaign #WasteFreeCyprus
2024:
106 Local Authorities
269 cleaning points
€1,000,000 in financial support
21,500 cubic meters of waste (4,300 tons)
2025 (to date):
76 Local Authorities
300 cleaning points approved
80 requests in evaluation
€1,473,370 in approved support
Uncontrolled waste disposal sites [apologies but the auto-translation has made a mockery of some town/village names!]
| Row Labels | Sum of Number of Points | Sum of Amount of Financial Support | Sum of Financial Support with a maximum of 30 000€ |
| APPROVAL A | |||
| Famagusta | 83 | €583,550.00 | €201,791.67 |
| Ayia Napa | 5 | €13,750.00 | €13,750.00 |
| Avgorou | 11 | €22,000.00 | €22,000.00 |
| Achna | 12 | €34,466.67 | €30,000.00 |
| Deryneia | 5 | €16,041.67 | €16,041.67 |
| Liopetri | 21 | €97,166.67 | €30,000.00 |
| Paralimni | 4 | €305,250.00 | €30,000.00 |
| Savior | 15 | €47,208.33 | €30,000.00 |
| Brake | 10 | €47,666.67 | €30,000.00 |
| Larnaca | 33 | €388,253.24 | €175,295.83 |
| Agioi Vavatsinias* | 3 | €9,333.33 | €9,333.33 |
| Aradippou | 1 | €13,841.67 | €13,841.67 |
| Municipality of Athienou | 3 | €49,041.67 | €30,000.00 |
| Kalavasos | 1 | €60,500.00 | €30,000.00 |
| Kivisili | 11 | €4,904.17 | €4,904.17 |
| Kiti | 1 | €10,358.33 | €10,358.33 |
| Claudia* | 3 | €24,033.33 | €24,033.33 |
| Melini | 1 | €2,750.00 | €2,750.00 |
| Tersefanou | 2 | €20,075.00 | €20,075.00 |
| Falsehood | 7 | €193,415.75 | €30,000.00 |
| Limassol | 41 | €1,804,647.73 | €298,499.99 |
| Saint Ambrose | 1 | €11,000.00 | €11,000.00 |
| Agios Pavlos | 1 | €2,108.33 | €2,108.33 |
| Arakapas | 3 | €550.00 | €550.00 |
| Municipality of Agios Athanasios | 1 | €36,666.67 | €30,000.00 |
| Municipality of Limassol | 9 | €218,625.00 | €30,000.00 |
| Pano and Kato Polemidia | 4 | €522,500.00 | €60,000.00 |
| Heptagonal | 2 | €7,791.67 | €7,791.67 |
| Kato Mylos* | 2 | €21,466.66 | €21,466.66 |
| Lania | 3 | €11,000.00 | €11,000.00 |
| Chapel | 4 | €156,750.00 | €30,000.00 |
| Pachna | 3 | €68,750.00 | €30,000.00 |
| Sykopetra | 3 | €4,583.33 | €4,583.33 |
| Municipality of Ypsonas | 1 | €0.00 | €0.00 |
| Pentacoma | 2 | €710,416.67 | €30,000.00 |
| Fasoula* | 2 | €32,439.40 | €30,000.00 |
| Nicosia | 70 | €1,321,191.67 | €287,316.67 |
| Agia Varvara | 3 | €22,916.67 | €22,916.67 |
| Agioi Trimithias | 12 | €136,583.33 | €30,000.00 |
| Astromerit | 1 | €66,916.67 | €30,000.00 |
| Gerry | 8 | €63,708.33 | €30,000.00 |
| Dali | 1 | €9,166.67 | €9,166.67 |
| Labourers | 4 | €20,166.67 | €20,166.67 |
| Kalo Chorio Orini | 3 | €9,166.67 | €9,166.67 |
| Katydata | 1 | €3,941.67 | €3,941.67 |
| Kato Monftera | 10 | €366,666.67 | €30,000.00 |
| Lythrodontas | 8 | €2,750.00 | €2,750.00 |
| Lympia | 1 | €18,333.33 | €18,333.33 |
| Mammari | 5 | €5,683.33 | €5,683.33 |
| Menoikos | 2 | €2,108.33 | €2,108.33 |
| Island | 1 | €24,750.00 | €24,750.00 |
| Pano Mondays | 9 | €550,000.00 | €30,000.00 |
| Potamia | 1 | €18,333.33 | €18,333.33 |
| Paphos | 29 | €289,602.50 | €201,858.33 |
| Arminou | 5 | €41,525.00 | €30,000.00 |
| Achelia | 1 | €58,052.50 | €30,000.00 |
| Gialia | 1 | €27,500.00 | €27,500.00 |
| Municipality of Paphos | 7 | €4,491.67 | €4,491.67 |
| Drouseia | 5 | €4,308.33 | €4,308.33 |
| Konya | 1 | €36,666.67 | €30,000.00 |
| Makunta | 2 | €1,833.33 | €1,833.33 |
| Neo Chorio | 1 | €71,500.00 | €30,000.00 |
| Pelathousa | 1 | €16,958.33 | €16,958.33 |
| Pentalia | 1 | €1,283.33 | €1,283.33 |
| Pomos | 1 | €20,166.67 | €20,166.67 |
| Terras | 3 | €5,316.67 | €5,316.67 |
| Grand Total | 256 | €4,387,245.14 | €1,164,762.49 |
| APPROVAL B | |||
| Famagusta | 0 | €0.00 | €0.00 |
| Larnaca | 20 | €84,608.33 | €84,608.33 |
| Alethriko | 3 | €9,166.67 | €9,166.67 |
| Voroklini | 4 | €26,583.33 | €26,583.33 |
| Larnaca | 1 | €2,200.00 | €2,200.00 |
| Meadows | 6 | €23,925.00 | €23,925.00 |
| Pervolia | 3 | €12,925.00 | €12,925.00 |
| Tersefanou | 3 | €9,808.33 | €9,808.33 |
| Limassol | 5 | €1,028,958.33 | €80,625.00 |
| Agios Tychonas | 1 | €91,666.67 | €30,000.00 |
| Field | 1 | €916,666.67 | €30,000.00 |
| Fairy tale | 1 | €10,083.33 | €10,083.33 |
| Sylikou | 2 | €10,541.67 | €10,541.67 |
| Nicosia | 63 | €380,737.50 | €131,708.33 |
| Lympia | 1 | €18,333.33 | €11,666.67 |
| Nikitari | 1 | €22,916.67 | €22,916.67 |
| Pedoulas | 1 | €1,100.00 | €1,100.00 |
| River | 3 | €5,500.00 | €5,500.00 |
| Tseri | 46 | €266,612.50 | €30,000.00 |
| Farmakas | 1 | €9,166.67 | €9,166.67 |
| Feathered | 2 | €3,025.00 | €3,025.00 |
| Lagoudera | 1 | €18,333.33 | €18,333.33 |
| Palaichori Morphou | 7 | €35,750.00 | €30,000.00 |
| Paphos | 2 | €275,000.00 | €60,000.00 |
| Polemi | 1 | €152,778.08 | €30,000.00 |
| Stavrokonnou | 1 | €122,221.92 | €30,000.00 |
| Grand Total | 90 | €1,769,304.17 | €356,941.67 |
