Alarm raised over sewage in Larnaca Salt Lake

The Green Party on Wednesday raised the alarm over a large volume of sewage ending up at the Larnaca Salt Lake near the Hala Sultan Tekke mosque.

“The sewage has affected and impaired the water quality of the Salt Lake, and it is losing its unique ecological value,” the party said in a statement.

After visiting the site, the Green Party described “incalculable damage to the natural environment of the area, as throughout the course of the sewage stream, dense reeds and various trees, such as eucalyptus trees, have sprung up, which have dried up.”

The party described the source of the sewage flow had not yet been identified but it ended up at the outskirts of the Larnaca Salt Lake.

A letter seen by the Cyprus Mail dated May 18 from the Green Party sought to alert the environment department over the issue, calling it to take action to put a stop to the practice.

The department responded on June 14, stressing 70 inspections have been carried out by the district office over the past five years. Following a series of reports about the sewage, the department went to Aradippou’s two industrial areas, the Larnaca sewerage board, livestock farms and other potential sources of the pollution.

“The illegal disposal usually takes place late at night or in the early hours of the morning, outside of the public service hours.”

It added more inspections will be carried out and sought to specify that in 2020, samples had been taken from seven sites: the Salt Lake, Aradippou industrial area A, Vergina, the old shooting range, two in Dromolaxia, and a river in Kalo Chorio.

As a result, €7000 in fines were imposed.

Criminal proceedings against one offender are pending, the environment department specified.