After the earthquake of last January, the situation deteriorated significantly, and as Andreas Constantinou, the Mayor of Aglantzia, told the Interior Committee, it took about 30 trucks to remove the rocks and dirt that then fell into the yards of the houses. He added that if the landslides had taken place in the morning hours then there was a possibility of casualties. He also said that if measures were not taken for private houses there was still a risk of casualties as he said owners were sleeping in their houses while rocks were hanging over their heads.
The Mayor of Aglantzia said that the Ministry of Interior had already provided a grant amounting to about half a million for landslides in state-owned blocks. However, it did not approve the amount needed to restore the problem on private blocks as well. Based on a study completed in 2017, he said, a total of 1.82 million euros is needed to restore both private and state-owned parcels.
Specifically, the mayor said that when the landslide occurred on January 12, 2022, they requested assistance from the Ministry of Interior to restore private properties, which responded that the rock fall was not related to the earthquake, as it occurred the day after the earthquake. The municipality then proceeded to clean up the rubble with its own resources. He also added that two caves that were used as boutiques and cafes have collapsed in Skali Aglantzia and asked for additional funds to conduct a study there.
"Every day we wake up and cross our fingers because we are waiting for the next landslide," the mayor said.
Constantine clarified that there have not been any interventions or wrong building permits on private homes.
From the Geological Survey Department and the Planning Department, it was reported that they are awaiting completion of a study for the area so that certain parcels can be included in the white zone in which no development will be allowed.
From the Ministry of Interior, it was reported to the Commission that the Ministry proceeds with financial assistance for private properties in case there are effects of a natural disaster, and that in the case of the Municipality of Aglantzia, the private properties did not meet these criteria.
The Civil Engineer in the Municipality of Aglantzia, Yagos Yagou, said that it is good to plan a white zone in the area but this should have been done years ago. At the same time he said that it is urgent to find the funds to finance the projects in private houses, since they have already prevented the damage in three cases.
At the same time he said that the total cost of 1.82 million euros estimated to be needed for the restoration of public and private properties will probably go up more, since based on their experiences in practice the cost is higher.
In statements to journalists, the President of the Interior Committee, AKEL MP Aristos Damianou, said that after today's session they were particularly concerned by the constant rock slides within residential areas, with the result that the safety of citizens and human life itself were endangered.
He added that to repeated representations by the Municipality of Alandzia and appeals by the Commission to cover the fund for the rehabilitation of private properties as well, the response from the Ministry of Interior has been denial, and expressed disagreement with this approach. He added that human life is not measured by whether the property is private or state-owned, and recalled that in Pissouri and elsewhere the Interior Ministry's approach was different.
The Commission President went on to say that the risk is real and called on the Interior Ministry to reconsider its initial position and to secure the necessary funds for restoring property and restoring security to citizens "so that we do not suffer casualties". Finally, he recalled that in the country the negligence of competent bodies and services led to tragedies in the past as well.
The Member of Parliament of the Ecologist Movement - Citizens' Co-operation Alexandra Attalidou said that in response to a question she submitted to the Ministry of Interior on the issue, she received an answer that the Ministry does not have a budget to support private property and prevent an accident that could happen. He expressed the view that when the State issues permits it must take into account the geology of the area and that once it has issued permits then it is responsible for what is currently happening.
He added that the Ministry should quickly find the funds to move ahead with the projects in Ayuntamiento since the value of life is paramount and it is not possible to gamble with the lives of people sleeping under rocks which may fall on their heads.
Source: CNA
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