Nicosia: Coordination issues among authorities was the main topic of debate during a new lengthy joint session of three parliamentary committees, chaired by House President Annita Demetriou, following the detrimental wildfires in Limassol district in July. The three Committees will draft a report, which, among other things, will record political and other responsibilities, as Aristos Damianou, Head of the Interior Committee said, following the meeting.
According to Cyprus News Agency, this was the second meeting of the Committees of Interior, Environment and Agriculture, which included the presence of three Ministers and a Deputy Minister, the competent government services, local authorities, and representatives of agricultural organizations. The discussion is set to continue most likely in fifteen days so that environmental organizations and employees could table their opinions.
Damianou stated that the next meeting will deal primarily with issues of environmental restoration, as well as testimonies of employees who were on duty during the wildfire days. He emphasized that the report will reflect the events as they are recorded, the opinions of all the guests, and it will document political and institutional responsibilities. Damianou also referred to a report by the Ministry of Agriculture, which noted that a number of fire engines were withdrawn due to age, without replacements, raising concerns about the state’s preparedness.
Chairman of the Agriculture Committee, Yiannakis Gavriel, mentioned that he had requested specific documents during the first meeting, but they have not been provided yet. He highlighted the communities’ request for generators and fire trucks and stressed the need for increased incentives for replanting vineyards.
Chairman of the Environment Committee, Charalambos Theopemptou, suggested that the sirens that annually sound on July 20, the day Turkey invaded Cyprus in 1974, could be used as a warning for the public when fires break out. He also mentioned the existence of technology for sending mass messages to mobile phones in a specific area to provide timely warnings to the public.