Works are under way to uncover and remove waste from the former landfill at Vati, as part of efforts to restore the site, deputy head of the Water Development Department’s construction service Stella Patsali said on Monday.

Replying to a letter from the Agronomos party, which complained about the interventions in the area and questioned their necessity, Patsali said the department had proceeded with a tender, awarded the project to a contractor and was now implementing the restoration plan in accordance with legislation and an opinion issued by the Environment Department.

This, she said, required the removal of buried waste.

To avoid polluting the subsoil, the work was being carried out with special methods that prevented rainwater from flowing into the waste.

Until the project is completed, she said, the waste will remain exposed so that it can be removed.

Patsali pointed out that a similar process had been followed at the former Kotsiatis landfill, where she said there was now no visible evidence that a landfill had ever existed.

She said the works at Vati were expected to be completed by the end of the year, depending on weather conditions.

Regarding the need for the project, Patsali said numerous studies had been carried out, including technoeconomic and environmental studies, in accordance with local legislation, international practices and EU directives.

“The methodology followed is the appropriate and optimal one for this specific case and we are obliged by European directives to restore these areas and protect the environment,” she said.