'SBAs our only hope' say Ormidhia residents.Byline: Lucy Millett RESIDENTS of Ormidhia village are protesting over the construction of a large solid waste management in their area. Some 850 of the 1,200 families living in the community have signed a petition opposing the development and the community council of neighbouring Avgorou has also expressed its disagreement. The Ormidhia Community Council voted to approve the construction, with four members, three DISY DISY Dimokratikos Synagermos (Greek: Democratic Rally, Cyprus) and one DIKO DIKO Democratic Party (Cyprus) , voting against it and four members, all AKEL AKEL Anorthotikon Komma Ergazemenou Laou (Cyprus; Progressive Party of the Working People) , voting in favour. The tie-breaker went to the town mukhtar Mukhtar, meaning "chosen" in Arabic, refers to the head of a village or mahalle (urban district) in many Arab countries. The name refers to the fact that mukhtars are usually selected by some consensual or participatory method, often involving an election. , also AKEL, who voted in favour. The area, which falls within SBA SBA abbr. Small Business Administration Noun 1. SBA - an independent agency of the United States government that protects the interests of small businesses and ensures that they receive a fair share of government territory, already has an Electricity Authority power plant and a large desalinisation n. 1. same as desalinization. Noun 1. desalinisation - the removal of salt (especially from sea water) desalination, desalinization plant nearby. Dr Andreas Charalambous, from the University of Nicosia The University of Lefkosia was formally known, until September 2007, as Intercollege. It is the largest private university in Cyprus with campuses based in the three largest cities in Cyprus: Lefkosia, Lemesos and Larnaca. , said: "The SBAs are our only hope. Unless they resist the pressure from the Cyprus government this project will go ahead. This is an area that is already heavily environmentally taxed. The government is adamant about the project going ahead, he said, because it is convenient for them". The government is "pressed" to have the waste management plant up and running by March, otherwise they will lose the EU funding, Charalambous said. "The proposed waste management plant does not fit within any sustainable development Sustainable development is a socio-ecological process characterized by the fulfilment of human needs while maintaining the quality of the natural environment indefinitely. The linkage between environment and development was globally recognized in 1980, when the International Union plan; it conflicts with the four pillars Four Pillars may refer to:
The Byzantine chapel of St George is located 350m away from the proposed site of the plant. Charalambous has written to the archbishop and to UNESCO UNESCO: see United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. UNESCO in full United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to protest and plans to lodge a formal complaint with UNESCO if the plan is not withdrawn. Charalambous said: "It is easy for the government to talk about the Turkish Cypriots Ethnically Turkish inhabitants of the Mediterranean island of Cyprus are referred to as Turkish Cypriots. The term is sometimes used to refer explicitly to the indigenous Turkish Cypriots, as opposed to the Turkish migrants who have settled there since the Cyprus conflict of 1974. destroying our heritage but here they are callously destroying it themselves." "This community is under siege from all sides. This is an area which could already be called an environmental disaster. The waste management plant will have up to 234 garbage trucks going to and from it every day. It is an unacceptable project from all sides." Charalambous said the effects of the electricity authority power plant on the residents had never been properly investigated and that the power plant had very high emissions of pollutants into the air, "chemicals with known carcinogenic carcinogenic having a capacity for carcinogenesis. effects on humans" He said 50 people in the area are already suffering from cancer. "The Electricity Authority says that there's no problem with the power plant in Dhekhalia, but if that is so then why is the EU imposing large fines on them, for polluting the area?" he asked. "The power plant and the desalinisation plant have polluted the air and the water. There is nothing left in the sea. The fishermen have to go to Paphos to find fish." "There are other solutions" he added. "The project was originally planned for Paralimni, which accepted it but reneged at the last minute. The area behind Oroklini, beyond the mountains, could also be considered as an alternative. It is a deserted landscape of just limestone mountains. It is not utilised for housing or agriculture. It's behind the mountain so no one would have to see, hear or smell it. Ormidhia is not the only solution, the government just wants to the most expedient solution." An environmental assessment was carried out only after the decision was made, and contained serious errors. Charalambous said "sections of the environment assessment actually mention Paralimni instead of Ormidhia." The case has gone to the Supreme Court with the first hearing to be held on the 10th of September. The mukhtar for Ormidhia, Panayiotis Pouis commented that "the project will be very useful for the community." A spokesperson for the SBAs, Captain James Mansell, said: "This is very much a Republic of Cyprus project. Nothing has been agreed. The Cyprus authorities are carrying out a consultation process. Our decision hasn't been made as yet but we very much hope that any concerns within the community will be listened to. It is too early to say whether this project will be going ahead." Copyright Cyprus Mail 2009 Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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