Apart from complaints by farmers, little has been said in public about the acute water shortage facing the country. It is almost as if it is no problem for the government. We should not complain that there have been no water cuts, but the overriding impression, created by the authorities, seems to be that there is no cause for concern.
A report about water reserves would suggest everyone should be concerned. The total reserves in dams on July 19, according to the Water Board, were at 36.8 per cent of capacity, compared to 60.7 per cent for the corresponding period last year, which was also considered relatively low. The dams of Nicosia were at 29.8 per cent compared to 76.3 per cent for the same period last year while those of the southern conveyor, which includes Kouris – the biggest dam – were slightly better. They were at 33.8 per cent compared to 56.5 per cent last year.
These are the consequences of a very dry year. The Water Board said half the amount of water flowed into the dams from October 2023 to July 19 (24.5 million cubic metres) compared to that of the previous hydrological year (October 2022 to September 2023) which stood at 48.77 million cubic metres. As is usually the case, farmers were the first to feel the consequences of the water shortage, the amounts given to them having been drastically reduced. A farming union representative said the water quantities have been reduced by as much as 60 per cent this year.(cyprusmail)
