The Water Development Department (WDD) is oriented towards revoking the water extraction license granted in 2022 for the purpose of supplying water to the illegal facilities of the fish farm in the Trimiklini community.
This is one of the two licenses issued in the last quarter of 2022.
Specifically, in close proximity to the illegal containment project, a new unauthorized water diversion project was constructed, while the first one was demolished in November of the same year.
On 21/10/2022, the WDD issued the Containment Project License No. CPL(N)/05/108/101, and on 18/11/2022, the corresponding Water Extraction License WEL(N)/05/108/101, for the needs of the illegal fish farm, thereby endorsing its illegal activities.
The aforementioned water extraction license for transferring water from the containment project upstream of the Trimiklini dam to the fish farm expires on 18/11/2024.
According to information, the WDD informed the director of the enterprise that, following the publication of the Special Report by the Audit Service, “Illegal Fish Farming, Illegal Interventions on State Land and the Kouri River, and Illegal Operation of Catering and Accommodation Facilities in the Sylki and Trimiklini Communities,” as well as relevant information from other administrative bodies, it evaluates compliance with the provisions of the Unified Water Management Law of 2020 and the regulations under which the license was issued.
The enterprise director is informed that the results of the ongoing investigation may lead to a decision either to cancel or modify the existing water extraction license, or to reject or approve a new license with different terms, based on the provisions of the law.
According to WDD records, a total of five licenses are currently valid, issued for the benefit of the enterprise, for borehole drilling and two licenses for containment projects (diversion), for which corresponding Water Extraction Licenses, i.e., licenses for water pumping, have been issued, specifying the allowable annual water quantities. These licenses were issued between the years 2013 and 2022.
In a letter dated 12/9/2023, the WDD informed the enterprise that, following complaints, on-site investigation, and evaluation of satellite imagery and other information in the Geographic Information Systems, illegal interventions were identified in the bed of the Kouri River, as well as in its protection zone.
Fish farm facilities and other uses were established, and diversion and water transport projects were constructed without obtaining the necessary permits within the riverbed and the protection zone.
According to the WDD, these actions caused significant morphological alterations to the river and its riparian zone, damaged and degraded the river and riparian ecosystem, and increased flood risks in the area.
Based on Article 116 of the Unified Water Management Law (Law No. 79(I)/2010), any person is prohibited from excavating or otherwise intervening, damaging, or destroying the banks, walls, or bed of a watercourse, as well as taking any action within the watercourse that affects or is likely to affect water flow, or may cause pollution or damage to the watercourse or harm to any person or property (unless previously obtaining permission from the Director of the WDD).
The WDD has called on the development department to demolish and remove the interventions from the river and its protection zone, restore the riverbed, as well as the protection zone, to its previous state by removing all constructions and backfilling, and to proceed with planting and restoring natural vegetation.
