Environmental groups oppose new quarry project in Androlikou

The Federation of Environmental Organisations of Cyprus (Opok) has officially expressed its opposition to the issuance of a new mining license for a quarry in the Androlikou region. Following the publication of a Special Ecological Assessment (SEA) by the Department of Environment, the federation argued that the existing quarrying zone has exceeded its environmental capacity and warned that the project threatens the integrity of the Androlikou Gorge.

The proposed project covers an area of 49,727 square meters and involves the extraction of 900,000 cubic meters of limestone. According to the federation, the operation would require approximately 315,000 kilograms of explosives over a two-to-three-year period and the removal of roughly 2,400 trees. The site is located adjacent to the existing Androlikou quarrying zone and sits about 120 meters from the Natura 2000 protected area of the Akamas Peninsula.

Opok contends that the assessment provided by the department underestimates the potential for irreversible ecological damage. The federation is calling for a suspension of all licensing for the area, suggesting that the site should be re-designated as a buffer zone for the gorge to protect the natural landscape and local habitats from further destruction.