Residents of the Kathari area in Larnaca are suffering because of water that has been accumulating from an unknown source in a flood-control channel that runs to the sea. Residents told philenews the situation had recently become unbearable, with rising temperatures worsening the smell from water that has remained stagnant.
“We’re ashamed to invite anyone to our homes,” one resident told philenews, adding that the smell was intense and there were also large numbers of mosquitoes, with some days making it impossible to leave the house. Residents had complained to Larnaca Municipality, which took over the cleaning this year following changes introduced under the Local Government Reform.
A second resident said that in previous years, crews from the District Administration cleaned the channel in good time, but this year the changes caused a delay.
Last Friday, Larnaca Municipality crews cleaned the section of the channel that runs in front of houses. However, residents say the problem has not been resolved. The smell remains, and safety issues have also emerged in some spots where fencing has given way.
Philenews was told that initial indications point to the water reaching the channel from the Aradippou area, and efforts will be made to locate its source. According to Larnaca Municipality’s Cleaning Department, further efforts will be made in the coming period to clean the rest of the channel, where the water level is higher.
The channel was built years ago to protect the Livadia area from flooding. It starts near Larnaca Technical School and runs to the sea, crossing two residential areas.
In some spots along the channel, large reed beds have grown, adding to the smell and allowing mosquito breeding grounds to multiply. The area has seen major development in recent years, following the removal of oil tanks from the site of the former refinery.
