Residents of Mazotos will hold a protest on Saturday against the government’s decision to install a mobile desalination unit in the community’s coastal Petounda area. They cite concerns over the impact on the sea, the natural environment and public health. The community council has not ruled out stepping up its response.
Protest on Saturday
The protest will take place on Saturday 24 October at 10.30am, on the main Mazotos-Kiti road, opposite the community’s petrol station. Residents are opposing what they describe as the arbitrary installation of a desalination plant in Mazotos.
“Mazotos is sending a distress signal. Everyone should be there. Save the sea and the natural environment of Mazotos,” the Initiative Group for the Rescue of the Mazotos Coast said in its announcement.
The group expressed serious concerns about the impact of such a unit’s operation on the area’s infrastructure, public health and environment.
Environmental concerns
The community’s greatest concern relates to possible negative effects on the natural environment and the area’s marine life from the construction and operation of the desalination plant.
Community council weighs next steps
Community leader Giorgos D. Pafitis said the members of the community council will hold an emergency meeting, attended by the lawyer who represents the community in court. They will jointly consider the next steps following the government’s final decision to build a mobile desalination unit in the area.
Mr Pafitis said that an escalation of protest measures is not ruled out. He argued that the community had not been officially informed that procedures for the project would move forward so quickly.
Request for a meeting with the President
Although the government’s decision is now final, the Mazotos community council had sought a meeting with the President of the Republic to convey its concerns and complaints.
Mr Pafitis said that Mazotos lacks the necessary infrastructure, such as a suitable road network, to host a desalination plant. He added that this lack of infrastructure could significantly increase the construction cost of the unit, while other areas already have the appropriate infrastructure in place.
Tender for subsea pipelines
The Water Development Department recently launched a tender for the construction of subsea pipelines and coastal structures linked to the mobile desalination unit.
- The budget for the works exceeds €6.5 million
- Interested parties have until 17 November to submit bids
- The unit planned for Mazotos is expected to have a production capacity of 40,000 cubic metres of water per day
