**Title: Officials Demand New Flood Projects and Better Coordination After Storms**
In the aftermath of severe storms that struck the Nicosia region over the weekend, local authorities are calling for urgent flood control measures and improved coordination among various services. The neighborhoods of Engomi and Archangelos were reported to have sustained the most significant damage, prompting discussions on the need for major infrastructure projects to address ongoing flooding issues.
Constantinos Yiorkadjis, president of Nicosia’s regional disaster management authority and chief of the Nicosia EOA, highlighted that studies are currently being conducted in areas where flooding has been attributed to structural weaknesses and inadequate infrastructure. In Engomi, officials are particularly focused on understanding why the district lacks a complete stormwater system and why certain areas, such as the relatively modern 28th October street, continue to experience flooding. Additionally, the absence of two planned retention lakes has raised concerns among local officials.
Yiorkadjis acknowledged that the solutions to these pressing problems would not be immediate, as they involve the development of significant and large-scale infrastructure projects. He emphasized that the authority has established a dedicated team responsible for the daily cleaning and maintenance of stormwater drains, a practice that has been implemented not only before storms but consistently throughout the year. He noted that some areas had not received proper cleaning for years, leading to visible neglect.
When yellow weather warnings are issued, the authority collaborates with Nicosia’s five municipalities to inspect known trouble spots and deploy crews to clear drain grills in anticipation of bad weather. Yiorkadjis attributed many of the network's weaknesses to the historical fragmentation of the district's stormwater systems, which were managed by ten former municipalities, each operating its own disconnected network before local government reforms were enacted.
Efforts to address these issues are already underway. A significant project involving the Vasilopotamos enclosed pipeline near Digenis Akritas, valued at over €2 million, is set to commence shortly. Additionally, a study is in progress for a new stormwater project between Lakatamia and Strovolos, near the GSP stadium, with construction anticipated to begin early next year. Currently, a charge of 0.05 cents per thousand towards stormwater infrastructure generates approximately €2 million annually, which is allocated for incremental repairs throughout the district.
Nicosia Mayor Charalambos Prountzos emphasized that flooding issues cannot be addressed with temporary solutions and called for large-scale state-led projects, including the construction of retention lakes along rivers. He reported that the recent storms resulted in five flooded properties, around 21 fallen trees, and power outages affecting at least six areas, with some outages lasting up to 36 hours. Prountzos urged for formal coordination protocols among the EOA, the water development department (WDD), the fire brigade, and the electricity authority (EAC), rather than relying solely on informal relationships between staff.
Strovolos Mayor Stavros Stavrinides reported that his municipality deployed 13 crews over the weekend to manage fallen trees and dislodged solar panels. He pointed out that the annual overflow of the Pedieos River near the Prodromos bridge would only be effectively resolved once a proposed development project, currently awaiting a viability study, is approved and moves forward.
As the Nicosia region grapples with the aftermath of the recent storms, officials are advocating for a comprehensive approach to flood management that includes both immediate responses to current challenges and long-term infrastructure investments to prevent future disasters. The calls for better coordination among various agencies reflect a growing recognition of the need for a unified strategy to address the complexities of stormwater management in the district.