Assurances of new support in fire prevention, ahead of what is expected to be a difficult summer, were secured by communities from the Ministers of Interior and Agriculture.
The back-to-back meetings held yesterday by the Union of Cyprus Communities with Constantinos Ioannou and Maria Panayiotou followed public statements by the Union highlighting difficulties in timely grass clearing and the removal of illegal dumping sites, which exceed 850 according to the Fire Service. This comes at a time when the island is entering the most critical period for fires, while since last March each community council has had clear instructions for clearing vegetation and creating firebreaks.
District administrations
Regarding vegetation, which has grown significantly this year due to rainfall, sources told Politis that the Interior Minister guaranteed support for small, mountainous communities that may prove unable to secure contractors by the end of the current week.
Under the agreed plan, district administrations, which maintain long-term contracts with specific contractors, will intervene and deploy them directly to these areas. The goal is to complete grass clearing across Cyprus by the end of June.
It is noted that during May and June, contractors for vegetation clearing are in high demand and difficult to secure, as earlier rainfall had led local authorities to delay clearing due to repeated regrowth.
During the meeting, the Interior Minister stressed that all involved must intensify efforts so that community councils complete the required works. District administrations are monitoring progress daily through data tracking.
Structural issues from reform
As it appears, one of the main reasons for delays is linked to structural problems arising from the reform of local government, which created municipalities of differing capacity. Some small communities were turned into “municipal districts,” affecting their ability to respond.
Sources from the Interior Ministry referred to cases such as Lefkara and Polis Chrysochous. The ministry has already supported the former following requests, while efforts are ongoing through the Paphos district administration to assist the latter. By contrast, it was estimated that 80% of the required clearing in Nicosia district will be completed by the end of June.
Illegal dumping sites
Regarding illegal dumping sites, the Union of Cyprus Communities secured a commitment from the Agriculture Minister to continue financial support provided by the Environment Department over the past two years.
Union President Andreas Kitromilides said the Union will first collect data from communities on areas requiring cleaning, then inform the ministry, which will allocate the necessary funds. The aim is for the clean-up works to be carried out within the year.
“We had a constructive discussion with both ministers. We note that there is willingness from the ministries to support communities, and we thank them for the meeting and the support,” he said.
Concerns over equipment
At the same time, the communities’ request for permanent equipment, such as excavators, trucks and shredders, so they can manage vegetation throughout the year, reportedly met reservations from the Interior Minister.
The main concerns relate to the potential lack of operators and the limited use of such equipment for only part of the year if staff were to be hired. For this reason, it was agreed that a detailed study will first be conducted, with further decisions to follow based on its conclusions.
