A TWO kilometre stretch of coastline on the Sovereign Base Area of Dhekelia could be a contender for the filthiest place in Cyprus.
The area east to the Ormidhia power station, which is under the authority of the British bases, has been described as a “neglected landfill” by disgruntled residents and environmentalists who have complained it poses a serious danger to the public.
Even more worrying is that a road which runs along the seafront is used by thousands of tourists every month, exposing them to a part of Cyprus that tourism officials would rather they did not see.
Bottles, crates, condoms, blackened syringes, perished plastic bags and even human waste are strewn along the shore, left rotting for so long, that much of the garbage is embedded in the earth.
“There are parts of this coast that look like a landfill site, it has not been cleaned for years – I know, because I come here daily to get my newspapers from the base,” a resident of nearby Xylofagou told the Mail.
SBA spokesman Captain James Mansell admitted that despite being under British jurisdiction, the area was not subject to cleaning and would only be cleared up if hazardous material was to be washed up.
“We have a responsibility to clean public beaches within the Sovereign Base areas, which are to the west of the power station. The area in question is earmarked as ‘natural coastline’ and is not maintained,” he said.
Despite breathtaking views of the eastern Mediterranean, the once-popular coastline has been left virtually deserted in recent years, with few people risking walking along the filthy stretch.
“This is definitely not good,” said Dr Michael Ierides of the Cyprus Marine Environment Protection Association.
“There is a chance that this rubbish will get into the water, it is in a dynamic state not on a barrier, and it could harm the delicate balance of marine life.
“It does not matter who is responsible, it needs cleaning, rubbish is a major problem in Cyprus,” he added.
The CTO, are studying photographs of the coastline and have said they are ‘very concerned’ and are looking into the issue.
The organisation recently blamed the casual “throw it over your shoulder” culture that has developed in Cyprus with regards to beach pollution.
Residents have also moaned about a potholed, unlit and dangerous road, which passes the power station.
Last week the finger was pointed at SBA authorities when human excrement was found floating near the beaches of Paramali and Avdimou.
Glafkos Kariolou, the CTO official in charge of beaches, told the Cyprus Mail investigations were still underway.
“The authorities of the bases had been informed of this problem when it first appeared a couple of weeks ago, and to the best of my knowledge they have been trying to investigate any possible leaks in their territory,” he said.
SBA maritime authorities said were carrying out off-shore inspections to check for further floating feculence.
