Government plans to examine the expansion of quarrying activity in the Pyrga area have prompted concern among residents of nearby communities, with questions raised over environmental impacts and proximity to residential zones.

The issue has drawn political attention after Akel’s MP for Larnaca, Andreas Pasiourtides, requested information from the agriculture ministry regarding the proposed extension of quarry operations near areas linked to the Natura 2000 network of protected sites.

In a written response, minister Maria Panayiotou said on Saturday that demand for quarry materials has increased steadily over the past five years due to growth in the construction sector and major infrastructure projects.

She said licensed reserves across Cyprus are expected to be exhausted within seven to eight years, making consideration of an expansion “imperative to ensure the adequacy of aggregates”.

The quarry, operated by mining company Skyra Lima, currently produces the highest volume of aggregate materials in Cyprus.

Transport Minister Alexis Vafeades said annual sales reached around 1.3 million tonnes in 2024 and 1.4 million tonnes in 2025, reflecting a yearly increase in demand estimated at seven per cent.

Officials said the Pyrga quarry plays a major role in supplying construction materials to the districts of Larnaca and Nicosia.

Vafeades stated that the quarry has operated in the area since 1960 and became especially important after 1974, when it was the only active quarry in the government-controlled areas.

According to the ministers, geological surveys conducted northwest of the existing quarry identified “significant reserves of high-quality suitable rock”.

Authorities warned that closure without expansion could create supply shortages for the construction industry and force the development of a new quarry zone elsewhere in Larnaca district.

“The transport of quarry materials from other more distant areas is considered environmentally and economically unfeasable,” Vafeades said.

Residents and environmental campaigners have expressed concerns about possible effects on biodiversity, dust pollution and noise levels, particularly because of the quarry’s location near residential communities.

Panayiotou said the existing quarry and proposed expansion are not located within a Natura 2000 site.

However, she stated that the environmental authority would examine whether specialised ecological, dust or noise studies are required during the environmental assessment process “in order to ensure that no significant impacts will arise on protected habitats and species”.

Authorities also referred to studies measuring air quality near quarries, which they said found PM10 concentrations remained within statutory limits and did not demonstrate significant pollution directly attributable to quarry operations.