THE DISPUTE over the Akamas Plan turned ugly over the weekend, with protesting residents of Inia being accused of having set four fires in the area on Sunday.
According to the Forestry Department, the fires, that have destroyed about one hectare of the Akamas forest, were definitely an act of arson.
“Of course they were lit intentionally, we have determined this one hundred per cent. There were seven fires in the last week in extremely close proximity to one another, it could be nothing else,” Chief of the Forestry Department Aristos Ioannou told the Cyprus Mail yesterday.
“The area that was burnt is one of the best parts of the forest, covered with pine trees and shrub woodland.”
The residents of Inia have been up in arms since the presentation of the Akamas Plan two weeks ago, accusing the government of “destroying” their community. Under the long overdue plan, the villages in the area would not be allowed to expand towards the west of their communities.
While Ioannou could not say for certain who was behind the recent series of fires in the area, the authorities are pointing the finger in the direction of the village community, whose leader only last week warned that the aggrieved community “has ways to make the government run” to protest against the controversial plan.
According to reports, members of the Paphos Police Department and the Fire Services together with the Forestry Department visited the village of Inia yesterday to examine a number of leads they had in relation to the fires, claiming however that it was too early to talk about any arrests.
Inia Community leader Savvas Charalambous deplored such action but continued his scathing attack on the authorities and implied that the fires could be attributed to the “undemocratic” actions of the government.
“The problem is very, very serious. I do not excuse such action, but the people are up in arms, you cannot understand what it means to be told that they will have their land taken from them,” he said.
“This is not even democratic, an EU Directive states that you have to discuss such issues with the local residents and not impose these decisions on them through Cabinet decisions.”
Charalambous insisted that the “villagers were being made to feel like refugees”.
Newly appointed Government Spokesman Vassilis Palmas maintained that whatever happened, the government would neither be blackmailed nor held to ransom.
“We condemn such acts of arson in the area and those people who were responsible for this and tried to set fires in a bid to overturn government policies, should be aware that this changes nothing,” said Palmas.
Police located 17 sites of attempted arson after the four fires that were started at 7pm in the Sternouda are of Akamas next to the village of Inia on Sunday. It took more than one hour for the Fire Department to put them under control.
As well as the 11 fire engines required to put out the fires two fire-fighting helicopters were also used. Members of the Forestry Department have remained in the area to monitor the situation.
While the recent series of forest fires have highlighted the topic of security in the Akamas area, the Head of the Forestry Department was adamant that they were doing all they could on the issue of fire prevention.
“We have a number of sentry posts and carry out regular patrols in the area as well as having close contact with the Fire Department and having fire engines on the ready,” he said.
According to the Paphos Police Chief Lambros Themistocleous, they will be “intensifying the already existing measures for protection of the region”.
Two fires were also started in the region in the last week.
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