Marathounda dump to close again

MARATHOUNDA rubble dump will finally close in September, after facing severe opposition from residents for over a decade.

The tip at Marathounda was opened in 1997. In 2005, the government signed an EU convention, to confirm they would build a special rubble dump for Limassol and Paphos, as is required by the European Union.

Three years later, nothing has been done, and the government has put the responsibility of finding a new site onto Paphos Municipality.

Residents of Marathounda and Ayia Marinouda have been complaining for years, as they believe the dump is a health hazard and should be closed. The tip was briefly closed, but re-opened last week despite their protests, as there was nowhere else to dump all the waste from construction work and building sites.

The Municipality of Paphos has now made a final decision to open a new tip close to Souskiou village. The site at Marathounda will accept deposits until September 19, and after that all rubbish must go to the new dump.

The council also announced Marathounda dump would undergo extensive regeneration, by planting trees and shrubs to enhance the area. This development is required by the EU. Countries such as Britain often use old quarries for these non-organic dumps, which are then replanted, and replace a previous scar on the landscape.

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