'My house overlooks a rubbish tip'.

Byline: Bejay Browne

NEW HOMEOWNERS in the rapidly expanding Universal area in Paphos have spoken out over the rubbish piling up in their neighbourhood.

The estate in Kato Paphos is promoted as a luxury destination for holidaymakers and homebuyers. It comprises of all types of properties, ranging from studio apartments to large detached villas, which are marketed as being top-end.

Klaudia Horvatova is a young professional from Slovakia, who recently purchased a property from IKG developers in Universal with her boyfriend.

"I've been living in Paphos for a number of years now, and we decided to buy our own apartment. We moved into it in August, and were assured that surrounding plots were classed as green areas."

Horvatovas' two-bedroom two-bathroom apartment is finished to a high standard, and would be any young couples' dream.

"I love my home, but we have a big problem with two plots of land, one in front of my building and one behind it."

The area is strewn with old wires, rusting metal and building waste material.

"We spoke to the developers about this a number of times, and they informed us the clearing of the site was up to the Paphos municipality.

"My neighbours in the next door building feel the same way as us, and they took pictures before contacting the municipality, but they're still waiting to hear anything back."

The problem of rubbish dumping is apparent all over Cyprus, but is particularly rife in areas of Paphos such as Universal, Peyia, Tala and Emba, where building sites are prevalent.

"We met with the developers again last Tuesday, and we were assured the municipality had been contacted. Apart from being an eyesore, it's so dangerous for the children who are out playing, and people trying to walk their dogs."

She added, "If you walk around Universal there are so many areas which look like this. In general Cyprus needs a lot more green areas. It's a dry country, and we need to help by planting low maintenance plants and shrubs to create parks."

"I like living here, but I would feel better and more comfortable if there was a nice park or playground next to me, instead of a big dump."

Horvatova said, "I recently had visitors to stay, and I was so ashamed of the surroundings, I had to keep apologising. If I had the money I would buy the two plots and turn them into a nice park for everyone to enjoy. The surroundings of a building should look nice. It's very off-putting for people coming to Cyprus," she pointed out.

"I've lived in Universal for about a year," said another resident, who asked not to be identified. "I bought an expensive detached villa with a pool, which is lovely, but the area outside my boundary is disgusting."

She added angrily, "I live slap-bang in the middle of a rubbish tip. I'm literally surrounded by dumped waste materials, old mattresses, fridges and old building material. Someone has to do something, as the situation is intolerable. I've complained, but nothing gets done."

The Cyprus Mail contacted Efstathios Efstathiou, who is the president of the Paphos municipality health and cleaning committee who said,

"If the municipality is responsible for clearing up a mess, we will of course do so, as we aim to keep the town clean."

Efstathiou asked for the details of the site, and promised that investigation would be made on Horvatovas' behalf, as to who is the responsible party.

"We want to make Paphos a clean and tidy town, but we must have the support of the citizens and try to stop them littering."

In particular he referred to a large number of residents who drink in the street, and then throw their empty cans and bottles on the ground.

"We have to understand that some people come from a background where this type of behaviour is normal. We must take the 'slowly slowly' approach and educate people that littering is wrong.'

He added, "I think it will work this way, but we have a long way to go before we have a decent clean town," he said.

The European Union directive states that 'inactive' waste material, such as construction and demolition waste should be taken to a specified place, which is only used for this purpose.

"Unfortunately up to now, the government doesn't seem to want to participate, and we have been trying to find somewhere to use as a dump. But every time a decision is made, the locals of the area refuse to let it happen," commented Efstathiou.

Most recently, villagers in Mamonia in Paphos have been protesting by blocking the access road to the new temporary site, preventing trucks and lorries from getting through. They have been voicing concerns about the impact the rubbish tip will have on the environment and the underground water supply.

"A solution to the current problem must be found within the next couple of weeks. In this transitional period, where can waste be taken?" he said. "There must be a facility for this, and people must use it. A compromise must be reached urgently."

Efstathiou continued, "There will always be people who don't obey the rules and will dump waste anywhere."

He urged citizens who may be aware of this behaviour, to inform the municipality and a clean up team would be dispatched as soon as possible.

He added, "If the responsible parties refuse to pay, they will then be sent a bill for our services. On the other hand if the area is our responsibility, we will clean and we will pay for it."

Horvatova told the Cyprus Mail yesterday, that the municipality of Paphos had contacted her, confirming that the cleaning of the green areas surrounding her apartment are their responsibility, and assured the plots would be cleared, before the end of the week.

Copyright [c] Cyprus Mail 2008

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