Mazotos residents reject compensation measures over desalination plant

A residents’ initiative group opposing the construction of a desalination plant in Mazotos has said that no compensation measures could make up for the environmental damage the project would cause, insisting that its only demand is for the plant not to be built in the area. In a statement on Tuesday, the group said the Mazotos community council had met President Nikos Christodoulides on Monday without the group’s participation. “The initiative group consists of 500 people and, although it had requested a meeting with the President Christodoulides, it was neither informed nor invited,” the statement said. The group said it had submitted a formal request to meet the president to express its concerns about the proposed desalination plant in the Petounta area and its opposition to the project, “but we were ignored”. Related Articles • Govt defends Mazotos desalination plan following residents’ protest • Mazotos residents gather signatures against planned desalination plant • Mazotos residents demand cancellation of desalination plant decision • Mazotos demands scrapping of desalination plans “They chose to invite only the community council to consult with it on compensation measures,” the group said. However, it insisted that “there is no compensation measure that can restore the damage that will be caused to the marine and terrestrial environment of Mazotos”. The group reiterated that its sole demand was for the desalination plant not to be constructed in the area.