17 agencies, still no answers on Limassol sea pollution

Local beachesenvironmentLimassolpollutionTop News 17 agencies, still no answers on Limassol sea pollution 17 Agencies, Still No Answers On Limassol Sea Pollution Relevant News 17 agencies, still no answers on Limassol sea pollution 28 August 2026 Labour Ministry, social partners to meet twice weekly on pensions 28 August 2026 Larnaca-Nicosia motorway lane reopens after cleaning works 28 August 2026 Andreas Athanasiou 28 August 2026 FacebookXWhatsAppEmailPrintViber Cyprus’s Deputy Ministry of Shipping met with local authorities and relevant services yesterday to discuss the possible sources of repeated pollution incidents in the sea off Limassol, after images from beaches and citizen complaints brought the issue back into the spotlight. The meeting put possible pollution sources and measures to limit future incidents on the table. Officials said publicly today that the possible sources are many and varied, including discharge pipes, wastewater treatment facilities, leisure boats and ships, fish farms and stormwater. The aim now is to complete the mapping of these sources, followed by specific checks and clear answers on the origin of the incidents. Possible pollution sources under scrutiny Theodoulos Mesimeris, Deputy Director-General of the Deputy Ministry of Shipping, said the meeting was held on the initiative of the Deputy Minister of Shipping and had a coordinating character, following earlier contact with local authorities and taking into account citizens’ observations and complaints. “The purpose of the meeting was to look at all this information so that we could jointly shape additional actions,” he said. Speaking on state radio, Mesimeris explained that the Deputy Ministry of Shipping has been designated as the coordinating body, with the aim of identifying and mapping possible pollution sources and forming a framework of additional actions. He added that an effective monitoring mechanism is needed so that services can respond as quickly as possible when an incident occurs. Mesimeris stressed that Cyprus runs a regular sampling programme for bathing waters and that the overall picture is very good. “Cyprus’s picture is excellent. It puts us in the top category among all European Union countries,” he said, though he added that “yes, there are pollution incidents,” and that there are many potential sources, particularly in an area with as much activity as Limassol bay. The pipe at Akti Olympion One of the issues at the centre of the meeting was a drainage pipe running from a high-rise building under construction on the coastal avenue, discharging into the sea east of Akti Olympion. Mesimeris said that, according to his information, a permit had been issued by the Department of Environment for this specific discharge. “We’re not talking about a pollution issue, we’re talking about a licensed discharge into the sea,” he said. He was quick to add, however, that it must be examined whether the permit’s terms are being met and whether the discharge could be causing local degradation of water quality. He said that, following the discussion, the Department of Environment has begun work to establish whether all the relevant conditions are being met. Video footage that circulated today by Politis newspaper showed activity around the pipe and ongoing works in the area. Xydias: Need to clarify who oversees what Mayor of Amathounta Kyriakos Xydias, who took part in yesterday’s meeting at the Deputy Ministry of Shipping, stressed the need to bring order to the division of responsibilities. He said the issue has been discussed for years and involves 17 to 18 state agencies. What’s needed, he said, is a complete record of possible pollution sources and a clear designation of each agency’s responsibility. “What needs to happen, precisely so that we find a solution and don’t hold pointless meetings, is a complete record of all possible pollution sources, with each agency checking its own part within its area of responsibility,” he said. He also called for more transparency, proposing a public platform showing each agency’s role, publishing analysis results and providing explanations when values fall outside limits. “All of this needs to be in public view,” he said. Questions over the Akti Olympion pipe Xydias focused in particular on the drainage pipe connected to the high-rise on the coastal avenue, asking the Department of Environment to clarify how many similar pipes have been licensed and how they are monitored. “I don’t know how many there are — 10, 50, 100. They should tell us how many they license and by what mechanisms they monitor them,” he said. He also raised questions about the pipe’s route, calling it “unprecedented” that it enters the sea, turns, and runs roughly a kilometre eastward before reaching its discharge point. He said he had informed the Department of Environment the previous week and raised the issue again at yesterday’s meeting. “I asked for some explanations, and I maintain that we have not received adequate explanations,” he said. Xydias made clear that this pipe is only one part of a wider problem. He referred to stormwater pipes, ships, anchorages, leisure boats and fish farms, stressing that continuous checks are needed both at the licensing stage and in monitoring compliance with the conditions set. Moni and the need for prevention The Mayor of Amathounta also referred to an incident at the urban wastewater treatment plant in Moni. He said that, in exceptional cases, a discharge may be needed to deal with an emergency problem, but that facilities must operate in a way that avoids reaching that point. Although the plant lies outside his municipality’s administrative boundaries, he stressed that “the sea doesn’t recognise administrative boundaries,” since an incident there can affect neighbouring areas too. He said a roadmap of actions was presented and adopted at yesterday’s meeting, with local authorities now waiting for it to be implemented. “What has been flagged has been recorded as a roadmap. It needs to move forward and be implemented straight away — that’s what matters here,” he said. Theopemptou: ’12 years and we still haven’t found the sources’ Charalambos Theopemptou, former chairman of the House Environment Committee and former Environment Commissioner, who has worked for years on marine pollution and waste management, was sharply critical. “It’s not acceptable that similar incidents have been recorded for the past 12 to 13 years, with the state machine only springing into action each time a new episode occurs,” he told state radio. On possible sources, he said: “I could name eight, for example. But even if there had been 12 years and countless incidents, they should have found a way to address it.” He also focused on the timing of bathing water sampling, noting that samples are taken around February, as part of the process for designating organised beaches, while pollution incidents and complaints usually emerge in summer. He said this timing gap should be factored into investigations, so authorities examine what activities are under way when pollution appears. Theopemptou also noted that significant sums have been spent over the years on clean-ups, without the same emphasis placed on identifying the source. “They’ve spent a great deal of money so far on cleaning up, but we haven’t once seen an investigation carry out analyses, identify and track down the source,” he said. He listed a series of possible pollution sources, including sewage systems, anchorages, leisure boats and fish farms. High-rises and pipes He singled out Limassol’s high-rise buildings, saying permits have been granted for pipes discharging large quantities of water into the sea. In some cases, he said, around “2,000 to 2,500 tonnes of water a day” may be channelled through them, and he questioned whether there is substantive, continuous monitoring of the quality of the water being discharged. Theopemptou also questioned whether it is enough for analyses to be carried out by the parties involved themselves, and raised the issue of on-site checks, including by divers, to establish what is actually reaching the sea. He also pointed to passing ships, saying technological tools, including satellite imagery, could help identify discharges and track their movement. DISY Following the recent sea pollution incidents, DISY is calling for full disclosure of laboratory results and clear answers on possible pollution sources, as well as on the measures being taken by the competent authorities. Dr Olympia Nisiforou, head of the party’s environment portfolio at its Government Work Monitoring Council, said the problem is not new, and that data, studies and recorded incidents from previous years already exist. She stressed that this existing knowledge needs to be used, so that each new incident is not treated in isolation, and so that greater emphasis is placed on prevention, identifying the real causes, and tackling pollution at its source. According to Nisiforou, citizens are entitled to know exactly what was found and analysed, the complete results of the laboratory tests, and how these compare with previous incidents and studies. She said they also deserve to know which potential sources were examined and what data ruled them in or out, what violations have been recorded over time and what measures were taken, how full compliance with environmental and maritime legislation is being ensured, and what specific action is being taken to address the problem at its source rather than after it reaches the beach. Subscribe to our Newsletter Latest News Labour Ministry, social partners to meet twice weekly on pensions Larnaca-Nicosia motorway lane reopens after cleaning works Fourteen years and counting… A crime in the big city Severe Saturday storms echo rare 1971 disturbance, Kitasweather says Palmas confirms Tserkezoi shooting range to close King Harald V, Norway’s reform-minded head of state, dies at 89 Follow en.philenews on Google News and be the first to know all the news about Cyprus and the world.