Confrontation in Parliament on the fires – Immediate action is requested

An appeal to the state to take the necessary measures ahead of summer to prevent and deal with fires was addressed by the Plenary of the Parliament, which discussed the report of the Parliamentary Committees of the Interior, Agriculture and Environment, on the subject of "Disastrous fires in the provinces of Limassol and Larnaca".

In the discussion held under chapter D, MPs referred, among other things, to shortages in aircraft, fire engines and personnel to prevent and deal with a possible catastrophic fire such as the one that occurred in July 2021. The Committees' report states and reference to the fires at the end of June 2021 in a residential area in Tala, and in Koili, Paphos district.

According to the conclusions of the Committees, the issue of fire management is a matter of utmost importance for the place and therefore its resolution becomes urgent and imperative.

To deal with the problem, which touches on many aspects, the Committees consider that the implementation of an effective strategy for the prevention and suppression of forest fires and fires in residential areas is required, as well as the implementation of a multitude of actions within the framework of this strategy.< /p>

The Committees find that, although there have been improvements in the field of fire prevention and extinguishing following the devastating fire that hit the Solea area in the summer of 2016, there are still significant weaknesses in the measures implemented and therefore there is room for improvement in terms of readiness of the state apparatus, the coordination of departments and services and the strengthening of the sector in question.

They further consider that the strengthening of the current institutional framework and the substantial improvement of the procedure followed and the measures taken for fire prevention and suppression purposes.

They consider it necessary to launch with a sense of urgency the appropriate prevention and preparedness measures, which will contribute to the management of the risk of fires. They also request the clarification of the responsibilities of the bodies involved in the prevention, preparedness and response to fires.

A necessary tool, in order for this to become effective, they say, is the removal of the causes that cause the fires, which may caused by natural causes or human activities that are either due to negligence or malicious actions.

They also request the development of integrated strategic planning, which was not done after the fires of 2016, after conducting a risk analysis and taking into account the new data regarding forest fires, mainly regarding urbanization and abandonment of the countryside and climate change.

They consider it necessary to create conditions that will make the work of repression more effective and maximize the operational capacity of the state apparatus.

They point to the need to ensure the adequacy and suitability of the firefighting and rescue forces, as well as the firefighting equipment and fleet, where deficiencies are noted. They also deem it necessary to further staff the Forestry Department.

They request the recording and monitoring of the prevention and preparedness measures implemented, as well as the recommendations that have been implemented, with the ultimate goal of re-evaluating the existing measures and actions based on the experts' recommendations and within a specified implementation schedule.

They also find that the planning for dealing with the consequences of the fires needs to be reviewed, especially in relation to the environmental dimension.

They also consider that the state should further focus on the issue of compensation to the affected industries and the olive mill in Oras community.

They find that the implementation of fire protection projects and the creation of fire zones and the utilization and involvement of volunteer groups is an immense need,

The Committees declare their willingness to assist in all the efforts made in the context of the continuous exercise of parliamentary control.

Placements of MPs

In his presentation, the President of the Interior Committee, AKEL MP Aristos Damianou, briefly analyzed the conclusions of the report. Among other things, he said that the recommendations after the 2016 fires in Solea were not implemented, as a result of which the tragic events of July 2021 followed. . As he said, it is necessary, with a sense of urgency, to implement an effective, integrated strategy for the prevention and suppression of fires, as well as the implementation of a multitude of actions within the framework of this policy.

He asked for even more work and vigilance for the issue from the new Government and less communication statements.

The President of the Environment Committee, President of the Ecologists, Charalambos Theopeptou, said that in Cyprus there are approximately 3-5 million trees, which should be planted by 2030 to absorb carbon dioxide emissions.

We must, he added, as a country in 2050 have so many trees to absorb all our emissions since the EU expects us to be climate neutral.

He emphasized that we should pay close attention to the trees we have in the cities, in nature and in the forests. Why’ this, he noted, we need to have a plan that reduces the chances of forest fires and a comprehensive system of immediate action. He expressed concern because, as he said, nothing serious is being done to deal with the causes, which according to investigations by the Forestry Department, 85% are man-made and of these 66% due to negligence and 34% intentional.

"In the issues of the first direct action, we are still lagging since the Communities still have requests for fire trucks, firefighting nests in main points, volunteers who need training, etc.", he said. He added that vacancies still need to be filled, training needs to be done, helicopter rental procedures are in trouble, fire zones on private land cannot be done, and much more.

The Chairman of the Agriculture Committee , AKEL member of parliament, Giannakis Gabriel, said that fire prevention is synonymous with survival in this place.

Among other things, he mentioned that the Department of Forestry was constantly pressing for the staffing of the Department after 2016, but beyond verbal assurances nothing was moving forward and everything stopped at the Ministry of Finance. He also criticized the previous Government for the closure of the Forestry College stating that it is a typical example of the policy at the expense of forest protection.

He called on the new Government to re-evaluate the issue and re-open and modernize the forestry college which the country needs more than ever.

DISY MP, Kyriakos Hatzigiannis, called on the government to respond positively to what it has promised and committed to on the issue. He said he has not seen any annual planning ahead of the summer and has not seen the state deploying the necessary measures. He called on the Government immediately, in coordination with the EU, to plan and use all the possibilities available to prevent fires. firefighting helicopters chartered by the Forest Department as they may not pass the necessary checks. It was mentioned in a report of the Audit Service for the management of aircraft contracts and said that there was a scandalous rental contract, perforated tender and procedures and aircraft that may not make us but no one to account.

He added that the Police have in front of them an expert report of the aviation operations unit which speaks of the possible commission of criminal offenses during the process of evaluation and receipt of the helicopters, while experts report that there are serious security issues. He said that they cannot wait for the investigation to show what happened when we cry about the most destructive fire in the history of Cyprus again.

The MP of DIPA – Cooperation, Michalis Giakoumi, spoke of serious shortcomings and weaknesses in dealing with and managing forest fires, while he welcomed the immediate reflexes of the Ministry of the Interior and Agriculture for financial aid to those affected and meeting the needs of professional farmers.

< p>He said that the necessary preventive measures should be taken in view of the summer and that all the services involved should be staffed and trained based on the developments of climate change. He also said that all the means should be ready and so should the volunteers. It suggested the creation of a National Civil Protection and Crisis Management Mechanism that would coordinate, control and mobilize all the agencies involved. He also called for more agreements to be made with neighboring states to provide assistance if needed.

The MP of AKEL, Nikos Kettiros, said that there is a serious understaffing in the Forestry Department that in case something bad happens "we will find it in front of us". He asked the Government to include the issue in the supplementary budgets.

He also proposed the creation of a coordination center for volunteers, the upgrading of the Forest Department's aging fleet, as well as the creation of a team of scientists for environmental crisis management linked to the Civil Defense.

EDEK MP, Ilias Myrianthous, spoke of the urgent need for the state to adopt a flexible procedure to deal with such emergency situations with immediate support and compensation for the affected citizens. He added that there should be care for the affected areas until they recover so as not to create urban unrest.

He added that there should be mandatory training seminars and exercises for all citizens on the subject, while in selected areas and communities, special firefighting equipment should be installed to be used immediately in case of emergency by every citizen. He also asked that responsibilities be defined and responsible for each action project be appointed.

ELAM MP, Linos Papagiannis, said that the biggest challenge is that of prevention. With the data we have, he added, the flying means are not sufficient to prevent a coming disaster in the summer, while the fleet of the Forestry Department needs upgrading and strengthening. He also spoke of a dire problem of understaffing and called on the government to look at these issues.

He also called on it to take advantage of what the EU can offer on the issue and strengthen its transnational agreements with neighboring countries on the topic.

DISY MP Charalambos Pazaros said that in 2012 the AKEL government terminated 2012 seasonal hourly workers and among them were 400 forest firefighters, a decision which was later reversed by the Anastasiades Government and extended their employment period, while subsequently increasing their number .

He added that in 2022 there was a record number of fires in Europe and in Cyprus there were the fewest since 1960 due to timely meetings held at the Presidential Office, coordination and prevention as well as measures taken by the Forestry Department.

The MP of DIKO, Christos Orfanidis, spoke of a tragic situation in the communities affected in 2021 by the fires, with estates losing a large part of their value and creating a problem with those that were mortgaged to the banks. He added that there is no flora and fauna in the area, there is no tourism, while young people have no future there due to a lack of infrastructure and employment.

At the same time, he stated that the penalties imposed for those who cause fires are not a deterrent. He wondered what happened to the Kadi proclamation that talked about life. As he said, it was just for the sake of watching and no action has been taken.

AKEL MP George Loukaidis denied that there was a layoff of 400 forest firefighters in 2012 and said that what was done was a reduction of 50 positions in hourly wages in general so that the government could buy fire trucks. He added that in 2012 there were 42 fire engines and the Anastasiades Government delivered 30 with an average age of 20 years. hourly workers which were 996 of which 400 were forest firefighters.

AKEL MP, Andreas Pasiourtidis, said that it was not during Christofia's administration that Mountainous Limassol and Larnaca burned down, there was the helicopter scandal and forest land was granted to become a golf course.

He also complained that they were sent criminal cases against farmers in the area who did not pay social insurance for that period, despite the decision that had been made.

DISY Member of Parliament, Prodromos Alabritis, said that the government's support was substantial and immediate after the fires, even though there were and still are problems. He added that he was assured that several social insurances were covered, those who wanted to reactivate were subsidized, while there were anti-corrosion projects.

He called on the new government to show particular sensitivity and for everyone to step up to strengthen the prevention and suppression of the phenomenon.

The MP of DIPA – of Cooperation, Alekos Tryfonidis, pointed out that as a result of the Solia fires, it was decided to create a heliport in Linou which was planned by the previous Government, entered the budget and suddenly came out. He asked for a relevant fund to be included in the June supplementary budget to start its construction.

The MP of DIKO, Zacharias Koulias, said that the state should acquire its own flying means, both helicopters and planes, for dealing with fires and assigning their handling to the National Guard.

Source KYPE

Source: www.sigmalive.com

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