LIMASSOL seems set to get its own desalination plant after all, with Akrotiri village expressing willingness to play host to the unit the town’s Zakaki suburb would have nothing of.
The Akrotiri decision represents a breakthrough for government plans to solve the water shortage problem through desalination. Last year, plans for a desalting unit at Ladies’ Mile had to be shelved after residents of nearby Zakaki protested and parliament refused to approve relevant funds.
Agriculture Minister Costas Themistocleous yesterday issued a statement congratulating Akrotiri on its decision. “This highly significant decision for the whole Limassol area shows that public interest comes first and, of course, honours all who took it,” the Minister stated, taking a swipe at Zakaki residents.
Akrotiri mukhtar George Christou made it clear his community’s acceptance of a desalination unit was dependant on the ‘all clear’ from an environmental impact study and on the village getting certain unspecified “development” aid.
“We have taken an initial decision for environmental studies to be carried out in our area and, if these show there is no impact, I believe the decision of the community council will be to accept the desalination plant — given that we will agree with the government on certain exchanges,” Christou said.
The mukhtar declined to specify what “exchanges” the village was after, except to say that they concerned development works.
Christou said the decision had been taken in the light of the “urgent” drought situation and “for the good of Limassol as a whole”.
Themistocleous said that an environmental impact study would be carried out and that the unit would be built “as soon as possible”.
“With the completion of the project, Limassol will be fully supplied with potable water, irrespective of weather conditions,” the Minister promised.
Water cuts were increased in the Limassol area after Zakaki refused to play host to a desalination plant.
Akrotiri lies within the western British Sovereign Base area. Bases spokesman Rob Need said base authorities had not yet been approached concerning a possible desalination plant. But he also said base authorities “always” co-operated with the government on public works projects.
The government sees desalination as the answer to the island’s chronic drought problems.
One unit is already up and running at Dhekelia, a second is being built at Larnaca and plans have been approved for a third at Moni.
