With the losses of the water supply networks in the communities of almost all Kokkinochoria ranging from 40% to 60%, one after the other the community councils of the province raise their hands, asking for raising the issue and forwarding it to the Government.
According to statements by community leaders in "Liberal", communities such as Avgorou, Xylotympou, Ormideia, Frenaros, Xylofagou, Vrysoules - Acheritou and Dasaki Achnas, express growing despair about the amounts of water supply that are required to pay to the Water Department. In order to cover the cost of their operation as councils, a number of communities have completely or partially suspended the repayment of water supply, with the result that the Government cuts these amounts from the annual state sponsorship to which they are entitled.
The above community councils are proceeding with this tactic and as a measure of pressure on the Government, demanding that their demand be heard, that the state prepare a plan for the renewal of water supply networks in all communities and municipalities of free Famagusta, where this is deemed necessary. However, the cut-off of state sponsorship, combined with the loss of revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic, is putting significant pressure on communities' finances, in several cases.
Indicative is the case of the community of Avgoros, perhaps the most typical of Kokkinochoria, where the community council as a House in its regular session, decided not to pay for water supply, as according to occasional calculations, up to 62% of water that is consumed and charged by the Water Department, is water that leaks from its network. In the Municipality of Deryneia again, unable to bear the financial burden of water losses due to network failures, the municipality was forced to purchase a special machine for rapid detection of water leaks, worth about 12 thousand euros.
According to the views of the community leaders of free Famagusta, the reasons that created this big problem for their communities, are two: 1) The sewerage projects that were done in all the communities of the area and which for reasons that communities feel that they are not responsible for themselves, they have caused significant damage to their networks. 2) The outdated water supply systems of the municipalities and communities of the area. Networks created since the 1960s and still operating with iron pipes or asbestos pipes. As a result, they can no longer actually respond.
Solution urgently
According to the president of the Famagusta Sewerage Council and mayor of Deryneia, Andro Karagiannis, he recently sent a letter to President Anastasiadis, in which he referred to the problem that exists with the water networks of most communities in free Famagusta. But without ever receiving an answer. He in turn estimated that the loss of water supply at the provincial level in free Famagusta, could reach 50%, a percentage that is certainly very high and causes justified complaints from communities. For example, he added, the Municipality of Deryneia currently has a 17 km branch of asbestos pipes and four iron pipes. "With the inevitable result, the very frequent leaks, due to the breakage of these obsolete pipes, ended up."
The president of the Union of Communities, Andreas Kitromilidis, pointed out that the issue of outdated water supply networks in rural communities is almost pan-Cypriot and at some point the State should be seriously concerned. He also added that he was aware of the acute problem that free Famagusta has in this matter, but did not know that it has now reached these limits, for the resilience of some communities. Concluding, Mr. Kitromilidis assured that very soon he will contact all the community leaders of free Famagusta, with the intention of the Union of Communities to take the initiative on this issue, in the direction of the Government.
Source: Phileleftheros / Pampos Vassilas