With their tanks full of heating oil, the residents of the mountainous communities of the Larnaca district are preparing to face the freezing temperatures brought by the weather phenomenon Coral in Cyprus. Five of the six communities receive a heating allowance, while the residents of Kato Drys are also requesting a similar allowance, to whom it is not granted “for 4 meters”, according to the President of the Larnaca Mountain Complex and Community Leader of Kato Drys, Nikos Vassiliou. The state mechanism is also on standby in case of snowfall, in order to address any problems on the road network and the mountainous communities.
In statements to CNA, Mr. Vassiliou said that "in recent days we have been experiencing the very low temperatures predicted by the Meteorological Service and we literally feel the cold on our skin."
He complained about the fact that “the Government approved the granting of a heating oil subsidy in Lefkara, which is at a lower altitude than Kato Drys,” where “for 4 meters” a similar subsidy was not approved. “We sent a letter to the competent Minister since December, to look again at the specific issue in Kato Drys and we are still waiting for a response,” he said.
He also stated that "the people of Kato Drys, which is located at an altitude of 596 meters, are furious precisely because of the Government's decision not to include them in the heating oil subsidy."
Responding to a relevant question, Mr. Vassiliou said that the remaining Communities of the Complex – Agii Vavatsinias, Vavatsinias, Melini, Odou and Ora – “are not facing any problems, since with the heating oil allowance they receive, which exceeds approximately one thousand euros per year, they can fill their tanks and cope with the freezing weather.”
However, in the event of snow, the mountainous areas are isolated, "but in any case we have the help of the Larnaca District Governor and the services of the District Administration," he added.
Moreover, as Larnaca District Governor Odysseas Hatzistefanou told CNA, "from today, Friday 21 until Monday 24 February, three machines have been placed at strategic points in the Larnaca mountains so that in the event of snowfall or roads being closed due to snow, they can be opened."
He also added that "the Larnaca District Administration will be at the disposal of the mountainous communities for anything they need, both due to the drop in temperature and possible heavy rainfall that may cause various problems on roads and areas."
Source: KYPE
