|
The Green Party has urged the public and the authorities to act on the long-standing problem of people dumping unwanted items in outdoor areas.
Roxanni Coudounaris, a member of the Party's Pancyprian Co-ordinative Committee, yesterday told that, 'society in general has a greater sense of responsibility than the government, which we are pressing to improve their recycling and waste management facilities. The authorities seem to consider environmental issues as soft and take their time to look into certain green matters.'
'This is just not acceptable.'
It's not uncommon to find old cars or large, electrical appliances dumped on beaches, in the sea, down cliffs and gorges and in parks, and something must be done about the situation, says Coudounaris. 'In the past month alone, a man used a lorry to dump an emptied car carcass in a beautiful vineyard in Stroumbi and when he realised that he had been seen, he threatened our photographer. The local police station was closed at the time so it was difficult to take action. In a separate case, a Mercedes was abandoned in a street in the Paphos district. Its chassis number is clearly visible, meaning that the authorities can trace the owner, but the awareness of their role is not in place.'
The Green Party can't penalise people, but can only make them aware of the problem, which has a negative impact on the environment. And these are just the cases that we are aware of and are the tip of the iceberg. We will continue to press for law enforcement through our parliamentary presence. 'People must appreciate the fact that our landscape must be preserved, not just for the tourist industry as is commonly stated but for our own well-being, enjoyment, quality of life and our future generations.' She added that the Cyprus Tourism Organisation, as part of their strategic development plan, had the facilities in place to remove abandoned items if they received a complaint from the public. There are also private firms that people can contact.
'In addition, municipalities must educate and inform the public about the alternatives. For example, certain areas should be allocated for disposal and a system should be put in place where dustmen will collect bulky items from homes on a certain day. We receive so many complaints and must get into line with the rest of Europe but do not have the infrastructure. The places and facilities are simply not there.'
Police spokesman Demetris Demetriou agreed that the situation was out of control. 'A person caught illegally dumping is liable to a fine of CYP 50,' he said, 'but this is hardly a deterrent. It is also difficult to enforce the law by catching somebody in the act. It's a problem.' | 
