A difficult summer is ahead because of the water situation on the island and it is necessary for citizens to end waste, Deputy Director of the Water Development Department, Yiorgos Kazantzis, has told the Cyprus News Agency. He spoke of the efforts in various levels to safeguard water quantities for irrigation.
According to Kazantzis, the aim is to keep permanent plantations alive. In relation to the desalination plant in Paphos that suffered damage, he said that it is expected to become operational in August, while a desalination plant in Kissonerga with a capacity of 10,000 cubic meters of water per day, will be constructed in September and October.
He also said that they are examining solutions in order to have water from desalination units even before the summer. A tender will soon be announced for a desalination plant of brackish water in the area of Yarilli river.
Figures until the end of January show that the capacities in dams are extremely low at 26%.
He noted that this is the second consecutive year of very intense drought on the island that left water reserves at a very low level. In addition, he said, the recent loss of the desalination unit in Paphos, further exacerbates the problem and therefore the Department’s first concern is to ensure, as much as possible, the adequacy of the water supply in the coming summer.
The quantities that will be provided for irrigation, Kazantzis said, will be very limited and significantly reduced compared to the already reduced ones last year and therefore 2025 will be extremely difficult for farmers.
But he said that they will try to give priority to professional farmers and permanent plantations in order to maintain the plant capital.
Regarding water supply, he noted that the effort is focused on 100% utilization of the operation of the existing desalination units, except for the periods required for maintenance.
Kazantzis said that his Department is in collaboration with the contractor of the Paphos desalination plant, which is trying to restore the operation the soonest.
In addition, the authorities are examining the possibility of utilizing additional existing boreholes, which for some reason are not in use, even private ones. According to Kazantzis they are in collaboration with the Geological Survey Department and are examining ways to have additional underground water sources to the water surplus of the island.
He also recalled that the Cabinet approved measures which include the possibility of constructing private desalination plants by hotels and farmers.
Kazantzis also said that information campaigns are underway for the correct consumption of water.
( Source: CNA)
