Delays caused by a lack of stakeholder consensus over the use of local borehole water have sparked unrest in the Maroni community located southwest of Larnaca.

“Despite successive meetings with the Ministry of Agriculture and the submission of responsible statements by professional and non-professional farmers – with which they assume full responsibility for the use of water – no substantial progress has been made” Maroni community leader Neoclis Neocleous told the Cyprus News Agency (CNA) on Tuesday. 

According to Neocleous, the local boreholes would provide sufficient quantities of water and could fully cover the irrigation needs of the area, which was particularly crucial for the September harvest of greenhouse produce.

The delays, he warned, directly threatened this year’s production.

An official from the geological survey department, speaking to the CNA, said the drillings referred to by the Maroni community council concerned gypsum drillings. The water retrieved from these sources, he said, contained increased concentrations of sulphates and chlorine.

The water development department, in this context, raised concerns about the over-pumping of groundwater, announcing that it had set a maximum amount of water which could be safely extracted during the current period.

Due to the remaining lack of consensus on the matter, the agriculture ministry said it further investigations were to identify effective and sustainable solutions were underway.