Residents of Sia staged a protest on Sunday against any expansion of the village’s quarry, demanding that a limit be placed on quarrying, community council president Melina Georgiou told CNA. The community is calling for a binding programme for the gradual completion of quarrying to be drawn up and presented, she said, adding that a meeting will be arranged with the agriculture minister, who wishes to visit the area and discuss the issue. Georgiou described Sunday’s protest as peaceful and said it had the backing of the entire community and the community council. The aim, she said, was to make people’s voices heard, since residents have no tolerance left and the government must understand that no expansion will be accepted.
A mountain and an identity
According to Georgiou, it is the only quarry visible from the entire community, and work is now being carried out at points clearly visible from the village. She argued that previous agreements, under which quarrying would take place within agreed limits, are being breached, and described the demand for a binding programme as a “red line” for residents. “Mount Xylias is the identity of our community,” she said, warning that Sia would lose its identity if the whole mountain is quarried. Under ministerial decisions on the expansion of existing quarries, she said, no limit will ever be set for the mountain, which is why residents are calling for a cap on quarrying.
Source: CNA
