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- Ελληνικά
"The Government has proceeded with a specific plan for the purchase of privately owned aircraft, almost two decades after nothing has been done in this part, in order not to depend on third parties," Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment Dr Maria Panayiotou said today after the Cabinet meeting. The Minister said that she is immediately going to Paphos to record the initial damage and to contact the affected people.
Dr Panagiotou in her statements to journalists after the Cabinet said that the fire that broke out yesterday in Paphos was discussed in the House, while an update was given on the situation we are in now.
As she noted, "since this morning, drops have begun from the planes that we have hired, two of the four that have arrived on the island and which we have hired, along with the Forestry Department's plane."
Then, he said, "the two Canadairs, which have come in through RescEU, have also been brought in. Right now the fire is in remission, there are no strongly active fronts, the Canadairs are still operating, the ground forces are following."
The Minister said she will be on the ground at the site with officials and with the Deputy Director of the Department of Agriculture, as well as with the Director of Veterinary Services to record the initial damage and to speak with those affected."
"Our concern is the people, the citizens. From the very first moment our insistence was not to endanger any loss of life so the evacuation was timely. So I'm going on the ground to look at the issues. Anyway, since yesterday the District Officers have also been in contact with the people there," the Minister added.
He said that the AEC has said that the problems were only being addressed in Hulu today and in some houses that were scattered, so work is underway by the seven crews that are there to enable them to restore the electricity supply as well, which is expected to be done by the end of the day.
In response to a question, Dr Panagiotou replied that at the moment the Republic of Cyprus has at its disposal, apart from the Forestry Department's plane which is on operational standby, the four planes it has leased. "They arrived yesterday along with the two Jordanian ones, as well as the two helicopters from Egypt," he said."
He stressed that especially "yesterday we were talking about a fire through an environment created by strong winds, which operationally even with the aircraft themselves face difficulties.
"It is a fact," he stressed, "that the Republic of Cyprus from 2006 to 2009 chose not to invest in the purchase of privately owned means of flight and we went to rented, leased and dependent on third parties."
"You understand that today this cannot meet the needs that we have, nor the new climatic conditions and it is for this reason that this government has proceeded with a specific plan almost two decades after the Republic of Cyprus had done nothing in this part," he said.
"Yesterday", said Dr Panagiotou, "since the activation of the "Pyrrhus" Plan, we were there at the coordination centre with our colleagues and we communicated, as included in the plan, with other countries."
"We had a positive response from European countries, Greece was the first, that's why it is here today, but we also had a response from other countries which we have to thank," he stressed.
"We also have to thank Egypt for responding to our request and we have the two helicopters here stationed on the island until we can cope in the summer with the two helicopters and the 17-member crew," he added.
"We also," she added, "owe it to Jordan once again to thank them not only for the two helicopters that have been here since Easter Sunday that we made sure to bring them - because we recognized that there was a delay with the contracts this year - so that the state could effectively cope with all of this."
The minister informed that "we have taken all the steps that we could. Operationally the Forestry Department, the ground forces, the Fire Service are doing what is necessary with the assistance of the State to respond effectively. But it would be a mistake not to say a big thank you to the forestry officers, the forest firefighters, the Forest Service, the Civil Defence, the volunteer firefighters to everyone really who is in the battle with the flames. Aircraft are a part of the response to the fires," he noted.
"We have utilized," he also said, "together with my colleagues with the Minister of Foreign Affairs and together with the Minister of Defense, the multi-layered foreign policy of the Nicos Christodoulides government, which is why the two Jordanians and the additional Jordanians that the President requested yesterday are here today, and Jordan and the aircraft from Egypt have responded.
We are in the CPA, the 'PYROS' plan provides that as soon as it is activated the Ministers go to the CPA to do the coordination. The Chief Constable was briefing us, he was in full contact and coordination with the Director of the Forest Department. We are in constant contact with other countries and with the forces," he said."
"This particular fire," he continued, "was detected by a loaded aircraft, by the Forestry Department's plane as part of its patrols."
The fire may have been caused by an illegal dump. Each individual citizen should also take responsibility. We cannot act recklessly. These criminal actions of deliberately setting fires must finally be stopped," he said."
"Already the Forest Department," he added, "has tightened its legislation, but further tightening by other relevant agencies is also underway.
We are in contact with the Commissioner of Legislation and the Legal Service and in the next few days this part of further tightening of penalties is also being completed, which provides for up to 50 thousand euros but also imprisonment or both," the Minister concluded.
(Ephys/EP/NYAN)
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