Water every Sunday for Nicosia

DOMESTIC water cuts will be reduced by 15 per cent, while farmers and animal grazers will be given 20 million cubic metres, the cabinet decided yesterday.

The 15 per cent reduction represents a 15 per cent increase in the amount of water which the Water Development Board sends to local authorities and district water councils.

These in turn are responsible for distributing the water to consumers. Local authorities will therefore have to change water provision schedules.

The Nicosia Water supply Board, for example, has decided to use the additional amounts to provide running water to all households every Sunday. Most Nicosia homes receive water three times a week, which means the extra on Sundays gives households in the capital water four days a week.

In Limassol, water provision hours will be increased from 48 hours per week to approximately 70 hours per week, giving residents running water every other day.

The Council of Ministers also approved the proposal’s provision for uninterrupted water supply to all households during the Easter holidays, meaning all households will have running water from Thursday until Easter Monday.

“We will give instructions to the Water Development Board to proceed with supplying necessary quantities so that we cover the needs until the Monday after Easter,” said Michalis Polynikis, the Minister of Agriculture.

Polynikis’ proposal to the cabinet also provided for additional quantities of water to be allocated for farming.

Some 1.05 million cubic metres of water will go to greenhouses, which is 47 per cent of their total needs.

“For permanent cultivations we will give 12 million cubic metres, representing 40 per cent. For potatoes we will give 1.6 million cubic metres, which is 30 per cent that needed for the spring produce, 1.25 million cubic metres will go for the winter produce, which is also 30 per cent of total needs, and 75,000 cubic metres will go to the early spring potatoes crop, which covers 50 per cent of its needs,” Polynikis said.

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