Sleep Persephone, don’t return to Akamas

The problem is exactly this: That the people who are in charge of governance, and officials in very important positions, don’t see anything wrong happening. Either because they don’t want to see, or because they can’t because of character, education, values. Therefore, all is well. Why fix it?

While every concerned citizen visiting Akamas these days sees a disaster of no return, all the Environment Minister and the Forest Department see is a delay in the completion of the projects that have begun within the Forest Area. But again, there is – for them – no real problem as there is a provision in the contractor’s contract for payment of a fine in case of delay. Thus, the bulldozers can continue their work as they started and as they would have done in any other area they were called upon to pave a road.

And there are answers to everything: “In some places, the road widening goes up to ten metres?” “Yes, to make bus stops”. “In some places the excavation is larger than planned?” “Yes, the subsoil was sandy and the excavation continued until solid ground was found.” “Were rubble and materials placed in places causing damage to the environment?” “Yes, but nothing is wrong. They will be moved to other locations.”

The same authorities, with perhaps other officials and other ministers, saw nothing when the Sea Caves in Paphos were being destroyed. They saw nothing when an entire creek at Kampouri Beach was being altered to become a beach for the adjacent villas. They saw nothing when the road network in Nicosia was being planned and ran through the forest of Athalassa and over the Pedieos river to Strovolos. They saw nothing when permits were given for high-rise buildings in special character areas in the capital, when residential and tourist complexes were planned in Platres and Pera Pedi, when towers were licensed everywhere, when tree lines were cut for road widening. They generally see nothing but “development”. How can they now see the destruction of Akamas? After all, that was the point. To make a highway so that buses can now travel and not just pigs and jeeps and romantic walkers. The project is well known. Hence Gatsos’ lyrics, written many decades ago: ‘Where flix and wild mint grew and the land sprouted its first cyclamen, now peasants bargain for cement and birds fall dead in the blast furnace. Where the sea used to be bliss, and the plain was a blessing of the valley, now the boats are carrying empty bodies of iron children and creatures to the shipyards’.