A week of important decisions for the Larnaca District Self-Government Organization (EOAL), as the fate of 23 residential buildings in the city of Larnaca, which are classified as dangerous, is being decided.
At least three of them are very large building complexes with hundreds of residents, which it is unknown how they will be managed, in case eviction orders are issued.
The only thing that is certain is that EOAL will proceed, probably today, to issue an eviction order for another apartment building in Chrysopolitissa. 17 apartments, as well as 2 shops, are affected by this decision, as the president of EOAL told "F", noting that in this case too, those who have no alternative will be accommodated for a few days in hotels.
In the coming days, four apartment buildings are expected to be evacuated, three in the refugee settlement of Agioi Anargyroi and one in Agios Ioannis, which fall under the ktiZo program and the management of the tenants will be done by the Ministry of the Interior.
"By Friday, the first 150 visual inspections of buildings in Larnaca will be completed and decisions will be made on the 23 that are deemed dangerous. There are another 40 uninhabited ones, for which a process is underway to be sealed. Of these, one is Aradippou and the other is Dromolaxia and we have sealed them.
Of the rest, most are located in the city center, but also in the Turkish Cypriot district of Skala", noted Mr. Hatzicharalambous, adding that the Guardian of Turkish Cypriot properties was informed to take measures for another 36 buildings that were deemed dangerous.
As for the Madona court building, in Faneromeni, it is expected to be sealed today, after the approximately 60 tenants have left the area. The social workers of the Municipality of Larnaca proceeded to register them and for 45 of them it was arranged to stay for a few days in hotels.
However, the buildings that are not registered as dangerous are also causing a big headache in the EOAL, especially the brick ones. In recent days, two cases have been recorded where part of two such houses collapsed. In fact, three foreigners lived in the latter, who fortunately were not in danger. It is a brick building with four rooms in Chrysopolitissa, the owner of which rented them separately to foreigners. Last Monday, the wall and part of the roof of a room, which fortunately was not rented, collapsed.
Asked to say whether additional checks will be carried out on brick houses, Mr. Hadjicharalambous indicated that "the EOAL does not have the ability to check all the houses in Larnaca". He reiterated the appeal to the owners and stressed the need to change the legislation.
"The owners must realize that they have a responsibility and a serious one at that. The legislation must also be amended to enable us to impose administrative fines in cases such as the one the day before yesterday. Now we can only impose fines in cases where we have previously warned them."
