Environmental decisions placing Cyprus on path to self-destruction, Etek says

The island’s technical chamber Etek, said recent measures announced the authorities for the protection of environmentally sensitive areas were inadequate and warned that Cyprus was on a path of self-destruction that only served the few.

After having studied the measures, decided during abroad meeting last week, Etek said it was disappointed because it had expected more.

The state “had the choice of choosing the correct and difficult path of admitting its own mistakes and taking drastic measures repairing the environmental damage by rescinding permits and restoring the land for which building permits were wrongly issued,” Etek said.

“Despite Etek having high expectations, especially from the particular ministers, the smooth and trouble-free path of implementing mild management measures was selected instead of restoring the environmental damage inflicted.”

The meeting, chaired by the ministers of interior and agriculture, was called following the public outcry over developments at the sea caves area in Peyia, Paphos.

The decisions basically left two major developments in the area untouched, opting only to rectify minor irregularities and take steps to avoid them in the future.

Etek warned that pressure to develop the few remaining environmentally sensitive areas in the republic would increase in the coming days.

“Either we will change course as a state or we will continue the trodden self-destructive path to benefit the few on the backs of the many,” the chamber said.

In 10 years from now, the island will be seeking the causes for the destruction of the remaining areas and the loss of a significant competitive advantage for our tourist product.