Pissouri appeals to state to save crumbling coastline

PISSOURI officials are appealing to the government to step in and help prevent further erosion of its coastline and beaches, which has also destroyed most of a popular coastal path.

Petros Foutas, the secretary of Pissouri council, told the Sunday Mail that ‘dynamic’ waves experienced so far this winter have had a huge impact on the coast and are an ongoing problem, as with much of the coastline including Polis, Paphos, Georoskpiou and along to Pissouri.

“It’s a disaster at our most popular beach in Pissouri. People can’t walk along the pathway as it’s wrecked. We’ve been requesting government funds to protect this sensitive area for many years,” he said.

Despite previous assurances by Marios Demetriades, the minister of transport and works, last year to step in and help, so far nothing has been done, he said.

Foutas sent another formal request last week appealing for a study to determine what can be done to ease the erosion before it’s too late.

“This is the diamond of Pissouri and we need to protect it,” he said.

Pissouri community leader Lazaros Lazarou, said that a large part of the walkway was destroyed a number of years ago and that the remaining part has now been damaged.

“The beach is different every day, sometimes it’s longer and sometimes not. Erosion is a big problem that we are facing every year and we always have to carry out repairs but this is patching it up and not solving the issue,” he said.

It is imperative that the government carries out their own study of the area, as one by the community council a few years ago was rejected, he said.

“This time we have asked them to do it.”

Breakwaters may be a solution but Lazarou acknowledges that there are concerns over their environmental impact and the effects they can create further along a coastline.

“We haven’t asked for breakwaters, just a study to see what is needed to solve the problem.”

Construction of breakwaters may lead to deteriorating water quality as they change currents that naturally clean water and create stagnant areas with poor water circulation.

Conservationists are also concerned about the use of local rocks in such constructions as they are sourced from quarries on the island.

Andreas Evlavis of the Paphos Green party said that quarrying stones to use in breakwaters and other marine constructions has become ‘a model’ for Cyprus that must stop.

“It’s a big problem and we should look at using different materials; it’s the same in all of the municipalities and we have to respect nature,” he said.

Legally quarries must be restored after extraction concludes, however in practice this is not the case, said Evlavis.

Lazarou said it was not up to local officials to decide what action should be taken, as this area was not their field of expertise but added that this was why a study was needed.

The destroyed path along side the beach at Pissouri

He said that the council is also hoping to secure a licence to construct a modern wooden walkway along Pissouri Bay (around 1,200 m), that will sit atop concrete piles and should remain unaffected by large waves.

“We have been pushing for this and it will be financed partly by the government, EU funds and a 20 per cent contribution from us,” he said.

The project will cost around 2 million euros and the council has funds available.

Foutas said that the popular stretch of beach found close to Columbia Hotel beach was the most affected by erosion.

The extent of the erosion over the decades really became clear to him after comparing the beach now with maps from the 1960s.

“The problem is chronic and if we don’t intervene soon, we will get to a state where there is no beach at all.”