Copyright cyprus-mail
Although it is the job of every government to reassure people it is in control and has answers for all the problems facing the country, it is often evident that there are holes in the narrative. This was apparent listening to the answers given to deputies about the desperate water situation we are facing by the permanent secretary of the agriculture ministry, Andreas Gregoriou. “To say the government has not done enough about the water issue, is like spitting at ourselves,” said Gregoriou, who insisted that the country “has not been left without water”. There were people working day and night to make sure this did not happen and the government had an ‘action plan’ for dealing with the water crisis, insisted the permanent secretary. At least he did not deny that we are facing a water crisis. Reservoirs are currently 11 per cent full – 33 million cubic metres of water – compared to 27 per cent at the same time last year, when there was already talk about a crisis. Despite everything being under control, Gregoriou admitted that the water in reservoirs was inadequate for irrigation and that farmers were advised not to plant in new fields. Things are so bad that the government has already prepared financial compensation schemes for farmers who can prove they lost income because of water cuts. What is worrying is that the government, like all its predecessors, has no plan for dealing with the perennially problematic water situation. There is no policy for making more efficient use of water resources, encouraging the treatment of waste-water for irrigation, banning big garden lawns and golf courses which require huge amounts of water. Pricing policy could discourage waste while financial incentives should be offered for setting up water treatment plants. The only policy we have heard of is the fining of people using hose pipes. For this government there is only one policy. Gregoriou said that desalination “is the only way to solve the problem”, and mentioned all the desalination plants currently operating and the new ones that will come online in the next few months. It is a costly answer to the problem because desalination plants are powered by diesel. We doubt desalination is very beneficial to the environment and the sea. Desalination plants are a necessity, but this does not mean we have to set up more every year. The government needs to develop rational policies for the rational management of water resources because shortages will become more acute over the years, not just because of lower rainfall but also because of constantly growing demand. There must be a comprehensive plan, that does not rely exclusively on desalination.
