Tensions rise over new desalination plant project in Mazotos

The Cypriot Water Development Department has initiated a tender process for marine infrastructure, including subsea pipelines and coastal works, for a new mobile desalination plant in the Mazotos area. The tender, valued at 6.69 million euros, is set to close on November 17, while the total cost of the project is estimated at 92 million euros. The planned facility will have a daily capacity of 40,000 cubic meters.

The Mazotos Coast Rescue Initiative Group, supported by 500 residents, strongly opposes the project, citing concerns over environmental degradation and the potential destruction of underwater antiquities. The community claims that decisions are being pushed forward without public consultation or transparency. Residents have already taken legal action against the project, and they argue that advancing construction while a court ruling is pending raises serious institutional questions. Local authorities, including community leader Giorgos Dimitriou Pafitis, have expressed frustration over the lack of communication from the state regarding the speed of the development.

In response to the developments, the initiative group has requested an urgent meeting with President Nikos Christodoulides to voice their objections. Additionally, residents have organized a protest scheduled for Saturday on the Mazotos-Kiti road to challenge the project's progression and call for official intervention.