Ministry insists no water cuts for now

THERE will be no water cuts for the time being, despite reserves reaching an all-time low, an Agriculture Ministry official confirmed yesterday.

However, opponents accuse the Ministry is still dragging its heels in securing deals for more desalination plants.

Presidential candidate Costas Themistocleous was yesterday quoted in Alithia newspaper blaming the Agriculture Ministry and Minister Fotis Fotiou for “dragging their heels” in the issue of expanding water production.

He also pointed out that plans to expand the Larnaca desalination plant had been delayed to such an extent, that even if works were put into motion straight away, it would be another year before the plant would be ready to produce more water.

Themistocleous’ accusations were backed by the head of the Larnaca Plant, Renos Koutsakos, who said the government had not contacted him to make a deal. He added that the plant’s management team had in fact proposed an expansion and increase in water production to the ministry before, but received no response.

Koutsakos explained that if a deal was made now, the plant would be ready to go in 2009.

Responding to claims by Alithia that water cuts were not taking place due to the elections, senior official of the Agriculture Ministry Haris Zannetis said everyone could interpret the situation as they wished.

“The fact is, water reserves are low but no decisions have been made yet to make water cuts,” he pointed out, adding that significant cuts had been made for farmers as soon as the drought began.

According to Zannetis, the ministry had not yet secured deals for the mobile or Limassol desalination plants.

“No decisions have been made yet for the mobile unit. We are currently in the process of receiving offers for the desalination plant in Episkopi, but nothing has been finalised yet,” he explained.

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