Issues regarding environmental protection, water resources management and infrastructure, as well as the establishment of a new animal shelter in the Paphos district, were at the centre of a meeting between environment commissioner Elias Myrianthos and Paphos district self-government organisation (EOA) president Charalambos Pittokopitis on Friday.

Pittokopitis assured the commissioner that the EOA was ready to provide “every possible facility” to secure the required permits for the animal shelter to go ahead.

The meeting tackled issues related to the management of the sewage system and the biological unit in Achelia, as well as issues related to desalination, with particular emphasis on the desalination plant in Polis Chrysochous.

Pittokopitis requested the commissioner’s assistance in accelerating the procedures required for the installation and operation of the plant and in securing government funding for the construction of a rainwater management network in the region.

He said that approval has already been given for the commencement of work on the installation of a sewage system in Polis Chrysochous, adding that the EOA deemed it appropriate to combine the sewage project with the construction of the rainwater network.

Pittokopitis said it was “absurd” to dig along roads for the installation of the sewage network, only to require it be done again for the construction of the stormwater network two or three years later.

According to Pittokopitis, the Paphos road and highway authority sought to secure the necessary funding so that the two projects can be implemented in parallel, thereby limiting costs, inconvenience to residents and repeated interventions in the road network.

The meeting concluded with an agreement to maintain cooperation and communication between the Paphos EOA and the commissioner, with the aim to improve basic infrastructure in the area.