The Bicommunal Technical Committee on the Environment is seeking to establish a mobile unit to measure hazardous air pollutants following the toxic plume caused by a fire at a waste site in occupied Koutsoventis.
Committee chairman and environmental engineer Michalis Loizides said the response plan could include temporary evacuations if pollutant concentrations exceeded specified limits. Permanent monitoring equipment is also being sought to provide the public with information about the air they are breathing.
Toxic pollutants may cross the buffer zone
Loizides told the programme Defteri Matia sta Gegonota, hosted by Andri Daniel, that burning waste at the Koutsoventis landfill releases toxic pollutants which can reach the government-controlled areas under certain wind conditions.
He said the plume may contain dioxins, polycyclic hydrocarbons, microplastics and heavy metals, among other substances.
Short-term exposure does not cause the same level of concern as prolonged exposure, he explained, stressing that the main priority is to prevent people from being continuously exposed to the pollutants over extended periods.
North-easterly winds recorded for several hours in recent days had carried the plume towards the government-controlled areas, he added.
Residents advised to remain indoors
When the smell of burning is particularly strong and winds are carrying the plume south, Loizides advised residents to remain indoors where possible and temporarily close doors and windows.
He also recommended avoiding outdoor exercise while the phenomenon continues, particularly for people with respiratory conditions.
According to Loizides, the Koutsoventis site was initially established with European funding and the required specifications. However, he said it now operates effectively as an uncontrolled dumping ground.
He attributed part of the problem to waste not being adequately covered with soil, which would normally form part of a landfill’s operating procedures.
Mobile monitoring unit under discussion
A meeting with the Turkish Cypriot side is being planned to discuss the creation of a mobile pollution-monitoring unit, Loizides said. The equipment could be deployed to areas experiencing the most serious problems.
The aim is to establish a specific action plan based on the concentration of hazardous substances detected in the air.
At lower concentrations, vulnerable groups in particular would be advised to remain indoors. If readings exceeded specified limits, authorities could consider temporarily evacuating affected areas for one or two hours until conditions improved.
Permanent pollution monitors sought
Loizides said organised groups within the Turkish Cypriot community were also calling for permanent monitoring equipment capable of measuring the most dangerous airborne pollutants.
Similar equipment is needed in the government-controlled areas, he added, while a mobile unit could be deployed immediately wherever fires break out.
The relevant European Union office is expected to become involved in efforts to develop a more structural response to the Koutsoventis problem.
Loizides stressed that the objective was not punitive, but to change how the site operates and prevent further incidents that could release toxic pollutants and affect human health on both sides of the divide.
