AUTHORITIES from the British Bases (SBA) yesterday reiterated their stance on the matter of pollution on Curium beach, saying they were treating the issue “extremely seriously”. The statement came in response to a report on the pollution on CyBC TV on Tuesday.
The problem has been ongoing since the end of July. On August 12, the beach was declared off-limits following complaints of human excrement floating in the water. Red flags were raised on the beach after lifeguards deemed the water unfit for swimming.
A clean-up operation ensued and the flag at the beach was changed to yellow the following day, indicating that the waste had been removed but swimming was not advisable until the source of the contamination had been identified.
SBA authorities say they have taken measures to rectify the problem, including increasing shore patrols by the SBA Maritime Unit and asking community leaders to be vigilant against illegal dumping at sea.
The SBA Police have also investigated several potential sources, all of which were subsequently discounted.
With the co-operation of Episkopi Community Council arrangements have been put in place to remove any further pollution from the sea and the beaches. The SBAs said they had conducted a thorough check of the British Forces sewerage system and “we can provide complete assurance that this is not the source (of the pollution).”
On August 27, the administration met with various stakeholders including the Episkopi Community Council, the Limassol District Office and representatives from the Health and Environmental departments of the Republic of Cyprus.
At the meeting, the authorities outlined the actions that had been taken and asked for suggestions on what further action could be taken. No suggestions were made.
In the statement, the SBA Administration said their efforts would continue including forensic investigation until the source of the pollution is identified.
They praised the “excellent co-operation from the Republic of Cyprus” and pledged to “investigate all potential causes.”
The SBAs asked that all members of the public remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities.
