Audit office slams environment department after breakwater collapse

The audit service slammed the environment department in a report on Friday, accusing it of not doing everything it could over the jetty construction at Paralimni marina.

The findings detail that the construction failed to adhere to provisions set out by the environment department and subsequently collapsed, leading to an increase in the leakage of heavy metals.

Specifically, it says the company failed to comply with the terms listed by the environment department over the breakwater’s construction.

Rather than take concrete action before the damage was done, “the environment department limited itself to letters, rather than taking drastic measures to ensure the protection of the environment.”

The jetty eventually collapsed and “caused an increase in heavy metal concentrations compared to the original measurements taken,” the report said.

The audit service is carrying out a separate assessment of the effects caused to the marine area by the  collapse.

According to the report, six months since the beginning of the construction, the silt curtains had not been properly installed.

The findings also revealed delays from the company in submitting reports with weekly measurements of currents and turbidity as well weekly measurements of physicochemical parameters of water and sediment from five points of the area.

There were also periods of time where the environment department inspector did not carry out all the necessary inspections which should have been twice a week.