Drones will be used to monitor an active landslide on Efkali mountain near Stavrovouni Monastery, where large cracks in the ground have raised fears for the safety of the monastery’s hermitage and of workers at a neighbouring quarry.
A source at the Geological Survey Department described the risk as “serious”, telling philenews the landslide appears to be developing and spreading beyond the quarry zone towards one of the monastery’s dependencies. The monks have warned about the cracks in letters.
The Mines and Quarries Service, which is responsible for active quarries, confirmed that the landslide is active “due to instability of the scree lying above the solid bedrock.” Its director, Michael, said work had stopped in the affected section of the quarry but was continuing in other areas, which he said were not affected. The Geological Survey Department has not yet examined the causes, as active quarries fall outside its remit.
Government departments inspected the site on Tuesday with representatives of the monastery and specialist scientists, philenews understands. Quarry company Skyra Lima has agreed to pay for a geotechnical study, which will be carried out by experts from Greece.
An official source said there had been excavation and backfilling in the area, and that rainwater may not have been properly managed, possibly making the ground more unstable. Firm conclusions on the causes will only be drawn once the study is complete.
Objections to the hermitage
The Mines Service had initially raised serious objections to the construction of the hermitage because of its proximity to the quarry and the safety issues this raised. It later changed its position after discussions, on condition that the development went ahead at the monastery’s own responsibility.
The company’s position
Skyra Lima director Iakovos Stefanou told Phileleftheros that ground movement in the area had been known about for 30 to 35 years, and said there was no risk to quarry workers.
He cited a 2019 geotechnical study which, he said, had pointed to the need for remedial work on a plot belonging to the monastery as well. The monks, he said, had not agreed to the work.
The new study will involve drilling boreholes to locate the slip surface and drone mapping to monitor ground movement and propose remedial measures, Stefanou said.
Ecologists call for suspension
The Movement of Ecologists – Citizens’ Cooperation called for a temporary suspension of quarrying to be considered until the checks are completed, and for no expansion of the quarry to be approved before the area is shown to be safe.
The party’s environment coordinator, Stavroula Dimitriou, asked whether, if the hermitage site is considered dangerous because of the cracks and unstable ground, the safety of workers at the quarry further down the slope has been adequately assessed.
Expansion plans
Since June, philenews has reported on strong opposition from residents of Kornos and Pyrga to Skyra Lima’s proposed expansion of the quarry towards the Stavrovouni forest. The Kornos-Pyrga Initiative Group warned at the time of possible risks to Efkali mountain, the dependencies of Stavrovouni Monastery and a nearby commando camp.
The group said the company planned to expand the quarry by 69,300 square metres towards the camp, which it said would bring the quarry within 100 metres of the military facilities.
The company confirmed at the time that it intended to expand but said no formal application had yet been submitted. Stefanou said the expansion was needed to secure enough quarry material, arguing that without it there could be shortages and higher construction costs.
