There is no degradation and therefore no incident of any pollution at Ladies Mile beach in Limassol, the Director of the Environment Department, Theodolos Mesimeris, told CNA on Sunday, when asked to comment on a recent announcement by the British Bases in Akrotiri about possible water pollution in the area.

According to Mesimeris, the monitoring of bathing waters is governed by a specific European institutional framework and has been implemented for several years in Cyprus.

He added that there is a monitoring programme in 123 sites across Cyprus, including the Lady’s Mile area, where there are three sites where bathing water is tested using a specific methodology and by a specific accredited body, the State Chemistry Department.

He said there was information from the British Banks that there were suspicions of potential degradation of the bathing water and subsequently a joint sampling was carried out on Friday.

“The samples were sent to the State Chemistry Department. It takes 48 hours to complete the process of analysis and processing of the samples based on the methodology followed. Today the analysis was completed, the official report was sent from the State Chemistry Department to the Environment Department and through the analysis it is seen that there is no degradation of any kind and hence no incident of any pollution,” he said in this regard.

He added that the British Bases have been informed and that the two sides are working together to repeat the whole process so as to give a clear message to everyone ‘that there is no issue of water degradation and no issue of pollution in the Lady’s Mile area’.

Asked how the suspicions of possible degradation were raised, Mesimeris said some reports were made by the British Bases which led them to investigate the matter and subsequently the Environment Department was informed and a joint sampling was carried out on Friday.

He reiterated that the analytical method required 48 hours for the analysis, which was completed today, with the State Chemistry Department issuing an official report on the result.

Asked whether other inspections are planned in the same context and on this beach and more widely, the Director of the Department of Environment said that based on the institutional framework 123 points are checked every 15 days if they are Blue Flag beaches or every month if they are bathing waters.

“There is the regular control and there are also the emergency controls that are done in cases where there is any information, any suspicion of any pollution incident. So the regular program continues, in fact on the basis of our program on May 20 there is a specific sampling for the Lady’s Mile, which is a program that was established some time ago. We will repeat the measurements, as measurements are taken on all the beaches in Cyprus.”

Asked if these measurements are mainly done during the tourist season, Mesimeris said that during the months when there is activity for swimming there is more regular sampling, while in the winter months the sampling is not as regular.

‘In any case, however, there is a programme implemented by the Republic of Cyprus in the context of our obligations and in the context of ensuring that Cyprus’ waters are crystal clear and that Cyprus’ waters are perhaps among the best in the European Union,’ he concluded.