Don’t blame God for water shortage

DISY deputy Georgios Tasou yesterday said it was a bit late for the President of the Republic to start worrying about the water shortage.

“With his statements to justify the lack of his government’s policy, [President Tassos Papadopoulos] is more or less telling us that it’s God’s fault,” the MP said, carrying on a debate that started last week over whether the government was holding back from making water cuts due to the elections.

Tasou’s comments yesterday were provoked by Papadopoulos’ statement: “Water cuts will take place; either before or after the elections, it’s not the government that imposes water cuts, unless they say that the government is to blame for this as well, which wouldn’t surprise me.”

The DISY deputy retorted: “With such policies, the country cannot move forward I’m afraid.”
He went on to add, “The incumbent administration, with its failed water policy but also its indifference, has committed a crime against the Cyprus public, which has been left out to dry and especially our farmers, who have been left at the mercy of God.”

As Tasou pointed out, entire crops were destroyed overnight when the government decided to cut water for various farming units.

“Each person is wondering why so much irresponsibility and ineptness, and why were prepared surveys by Glafcos Clerides’ government for the creation of two desalination plants in Limassol and Paralimni shelved by the relevant ministries?” Tasou said.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Fotis Fotiou contradicted Tasou’s claims, saying water cuts were going to take place whenever they were needed, irrespective of when the elections would take place.

“I would like to send a plea to all [presidential] candidates not to use the water situation as a pre-election tool in this run-up to the presidential elections,” Fotiou requested.