Residents of Mazotos will protest on Saturday against plans to install a mobile desalination unit in their coastal waters, calling the Agriculture Ministry’s decision arbitrary and rushed.
The Community Council set the demonstration for 24 January at 10 am, demanding the ministry scrap the plan. The council said it recognises the water shortage but argued the decision was made without an environmental study or consultation.
In a letter to the President and political parties, the council said the decision violates environmental governance principles because no complete Environmental Impact Assessment exists. Mazotos’s sea area is a sensitive ecosystem with significant biodiversity, fishing and strong tourism, the letter noted.
The lack of consultation with the local community and scientific bodies undermines transparency and damages citizens’ trust in the administration, the letter stated.
Community leader Georgios Dimitriou Pafiti said the Water Development Department told him on 20 November that authorities decided to install a mobile unit producing 20,000 to 80,000 tonnes daily. The council sent compensation requests but got no positive response.
Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou said officials met the community leader and discussed compensation, including measures to develop tourism. She acknowledged residents’ concerns but stressed the need to work together whilst respecting environmental laws.
Environmental conditions exist and will be applied, and some community requests have been met, Panayiotou said. The ministry has helped with water loss projects and promised to cover additional requests, though some are very difficult to implement.
Officials are working with other ministries on the community’s demands, but there are procedures and the area cannot simply become touristic, she said.
The proposal will go to Cabinet.
Panayiotou described the water crisis in stark terms. The ministry is working on three fronts: adding water from desalination, improving infrastructure, and building water awareness to cut overconsumption to 10%.
This year is very difficult, among the worst ever, she said. Despite rainfall, inflows to dams are minimal. Cyprus is in the red zone and working feverishly to avoid cuts and manage a very difficult summer.
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