AKEL blames the government for the inadequacy in waste management, as it comments on it, and the big fire in Mari that occurred at the weekend.
"The fire at the tyre management site in the Vasilikos area, with all its disastrous consequences, has once again highlighted the inadequacy and sloppiness demonstrated by the Anastasiades-DISY government in terms of waste management," AKEL said in a statement.
The management of tyres at the end of their life cycle is governed by Community directives and national legislation, so as to prevent and reduce negative environmental impacts, particularly on surface and groundwater, soil, the atmosphere and human health, it notes.
At the same time, AKEL states that "this is not the first time that such accidents have occurred at tyre management sites. We should recall that the Audit Office itself, in a Special Report published in April 2021 on the management of vehicle tyre waste, pointed out the environmental risks posed by the accumulation of large quantities of tyres, especially in the wider Vasilikos area."
"The competent ministry has an obligation to carry out all the necessary checks, to check the licensing conditions of each site, and to ensure that they are properly managed. AKEL reiterates once again the need to formulate integrated management of all waste in the framework of the circular economy," it says.
In conclusion, it notes that such incidents "cannot be left unresolved, which is why AKEL, on the occasion of the fire in Mari, will bring the issue back for discussion in the Parliamentary Committee on the Environment, because the safety and health of the people must be a priority for all of us."
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