Recent rains are ‘not enough‘

RECENT rains have not made any difference to water levels in the island’s reservoirs, Agriculture Minister Fotis Fotiou said yesterday.

Fotiou said it was estimated that 14 million cubic metres were needed, while the reservoirs contained only six million cubic metres.

He said it was the government’s aim to purge the island of its “drug addiction to the weather”.

“Not only will the measures to save water continue, but they will be intensified so that we can purge this drug addiction to the weather,” Fotiou said.

This would be done by following through on plans to create two new desalination units, one in the Limassol region and one in Paphos.

“This is the strategy that we are following, along with other plans so that we be detoxified completely from the effect of meteorology.”

Fotiou last month announced measures for saving water, mainly through restrictions on agriculture, which will not be given any water for seasonal crops from May 1.

Water will be provided until then, when the current crop of seasonal plants, such as potatoes, is over. No additional water will be made available after that date.

“If anyone is facing enormous negative repercussions it is the farmers, but the restrictions have been announced and they will be applied,” Fotiou said.

He also called on domestic users to develop a “water consciousness”, particularly in summer, since recent rains, while helpful, were not enough to make an impact on water reserves.

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