Environmental inspector to begin work in Famagusta district

The institution of the environmental inspector will commence in the government-controlled area of Famagusta, Agriculture Minister Petros Xenophontos said on Thursday.

He expressed his belief that this initiative will prove to be highly productive and functional for all communities in Cyprus.

Xenophontos spoke following a meeting held this morning at the Achera Community Council with the Community Leaders of the Famagusta district. Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades also attended the meeting.

The meeting with the community leaders was “highly productive and creative”, Xenophontos said adding that such meetings will continue since they have demonstrated great productivity. He highlighted the importance of hearing firsthand about the problems faced by these communities and expressed the government’s intent to proceed with infrastructure projects aimed at enhancing the daily lives of the region’s residents.

When asked about the environmental inspector institution, the agriculture minister stated that it will be established in the government-controlled area of Famagusta. “We believe it will significantly contribute to supervising cleanliness, dam integrity, and environmental concerns,” he said.

“We are ready to allocate resources to the communities to have one or more inspectors who will conduct daily checks to ensure there are no issues with waste disposal or other matters, such as overfishing at the dam or camping near the dam, which could cause problems in the area.”

Regarding the problems in the livestock farming areas, including the pumping station, Xenophontos stated that some issues had been resolved during the meeting, and for the remaining matters, they are awaiting answers in the coming days.

The Community Leader of Achera, Michalis Kaounas, expressed his gratitude to the ministers of transport and agriculture “for the constructive discussion”. “We laid out the problems before them so they know exactly what we are focusing on,” he said.

Answering a related question, Kaounas mentioned that “several issues were addressed today, and for the rest, we expect to have answers in the coming days.”