He is fully aware of the difficulties and challenges that the newly established Provincial Self-Government Organization of Larnaca has to manage, says Angelos Hatzicharalambous, adding that the goal of the organization is to improve the daily life of citizens in practice, but also to be a “model organization”. His priorities include the big issues of water supply, sewerage, stormwater management, solid waste management and development permitting, he said.
In an interview with KYPE, Mr. Hatzicharalambous stated that his goal, as well as that of the 16-member Council, is for the Organization to “become a model characterized by transparency”. in order to have a practical improvement in the everyday life of the citizens, through the provision of efficient, but also economic services to them.
As the President of EOA Larnaca said, the driving force that what pushed him to claim this position was his great love for the city of Zeno, while his vision is “for Larnaca to become an example city, a prosperous city, under continuous development, while maintaining its picturesque character”.
An important part for the realization of his vision, he continued, “is the creation of a healthy, strong, robust, modern, pioneering, digital and green organization, friendly to the citizens of the city and province of Larnaca. Through the use of modern tools, the utilization of digital technology, with responsible and proper management of resources, saving economies of scale and through the simplification of procedures, it will provide upgraded and quality services, thus contributing to the upgrading of the quality of life of its residents, the environmental protection and the economic development of the city and the province of Larnaca,” he said.
Taking over the helm of the EOA of Larnaca, Mr. Hadjicharalambous said “I have set as my first and foremost goal the provision of high-quality water supply, drainage, development licensing and solid waste management services, effectively contributing to the improvement and upgrade of the quality of life of the residents city and province and in the protection of the environment. It is our concern that our Organization responds immediately and adequately to the needs of citizens, eliminating attitudes of the past such as unnecessary bureaucracy and delays”.
As he characteristically said, “an important component for achieving this goal is the staffing of the organization with properly qualified personnel. Undoubtedly, our people are our strength and as an organization we invest in creating a strong team where everyone is placed in the right position, where and where they can perform to the best of their abilities, in the shortest possible time”.
At the same time, he assured that “the focus of everything is the people of Larnaca and their needs” and that is why his daily contact with the citizens of the city is an “important feedback tool”, through which, as he says, he receives comments, opinions and suggestions which after evaluation they are used appropriately. “The need to simplify procedures and upgrade the online portal has certainly emerged, so that the technology we have at our disposal is properly utilized, significantly facilitating the quality of life of our fellow citizens, through the provision of the possibility of electronic submission of applications, online payment of bills them and others” he said.
At the same time, he continued, “it is necessary to ensure the service of all citizens, regardless of age, hence the creation of Quick Stop shops, i.e. service points, as well as immediate response service stations in remote areas of the province, with the aim of more efficient and hassle-free service to the residents” .
The President of EOA also noted that “a specific action plan, actions and policies have already been drawn up, which have been promoted for the purpose of improving the services provided by the Organization in the areas of water supply, drainage, rainwater management, waste and green points”.
Water supply
Regarding the water supply services, Mr. Hadzicharalambous said that “at this stage, an Action Plan is being drawn up with the aim of taking corrective measures, checking and repairing the water supply networks. The plan includes immediate, medium-term and long-term actions so that we can reduce losses and correct network failures, among which is the construction of third-generation water tanks in areas where there is insufficient storage and the partial replacement of the water supply network.
It is a fact, he continued, “that in the province of Larnaca large losses of water are recorded, which are mainly due to the fact that the networks of several of the Municipalities and Communities whose Water Supply Services have been taken over since July 1st by EOA Larnaca, are outdated and have not been no maintenance or investment in these last years. The upgrading, maintenance and replacement of outdated networks to solve the most serious problem of leaks, will be a catalyst in reducing water losses and increasing the efficiency of water resources,” he said.
However, he noted “for the replacement of the water network, which also entails greater costs, serious consideration should be given to the financial and human resources available to EOA Larnaca. At an initial stage, the replacement of short lengths of pipelines is planned, while an important tool available to our Organization for detecting large leaks is the use of technology”.
Most important, Mr. Hatzicharalambous described the adoption of smart technologies “that is, the digitization of the equipment and the replacement of old water meters with smart meters, in areas of the SYL which present high unbilled water, and in particular the areas of the Municipalities of Aradippou and Livadi as well as in areas with intense commercial activity and high consumption”.
The installation of smart meters, he noted, “will contribute to the early detection of leaks in the distribution network and in consumer premises and to better management of the network resulting in the reduction of unbilled water”.
Sewer
Regarding the big issue of the sewer system, the President of EOA Larnaca said that “among other things, actions are being promoted to expand and upgrade the sewer network to serve the projected needs in the entire province of Larnaca, on the basis of Directive 91/271EU. As EOA Larnaca, we have taken over the Sewerage systems of the Sewerage Boards of Athienou, Anglisido and Agioi Vavatsinias, which we upgrade and operate based on the standards of the former Sewerage Board of Larnaca”.
At the same time, he continued, “we are implementing Phase C and Phase D of the sewage system and projects with the completion of which ensure our harmonization with the European directive regarding the collection and treatment of municipal wastewater. Our goal is the production of energy from renewable energy sources for zero pollution and full coverage of the electricity needs of the Wastewater Treatment Plants as well as sewage pumping”.
Version planning and building permits
In his interview with KYPE, Angelos Hatzicharalambous also referred to the issue of development licensing and said that “the priority is the operation of a single Authority for development licensing, i.e. a One stop shop, where the issuance of urban planning and building permits will be done on of the essence in a single point, with the aim of reducing the time of examination of applications and the endless suffering of the public due to the red tape that prevailed in this area for years”.
Undeniably, he noted that “special emphasis must be placed on optimizing procedures by simplifying and modernizing them in order to reduce public inconvenience. Surely the reduction of the time for issuing town planning and building permits will be a catalytic factor in attracting new investors, the operation of new companies in the city and province of Larnaca and therefore in the creation of new jobs”.
In this direction, he said, “the processing of applications through the “Ippodamos” electronic system will certainly contribute significantly, however time is still needed for the staff to familiarize themselves with the new procedures. In addition, the preparation of a strategic plan for the holistic management of the pending applications, which were delivered to the EOA of Larnaca by the Licensing Authorities on July 1st, is expected”.
Stormwater/Solid Waste Management
Another big issue that will concern the EOA of Larnaca, said Mr. Hadzicharalambous, is the Rainwater Management Service “for which anti-flooding projects are being planned with priority in the areas facing the most serious problems, while there will be systematic planning of well cleaning and network maintenance”. He also characterized the performance of diagnostic studies of the operation of rainwater systems as important, as well as the taking of emergency measures in areas vulnerable to rainfall and the formation of a call team.
At the same time, he explained that the goal of the Organization is to implement new policies to improve waste management, thereby reducing waste that ends up in landfills and promoting recycling through educational campaigns. “At the same time, one of the biggest goals of the EOA of Larnaca is to strengthen environmental awareness and improve waste management, while in addition we adopt the implementation of a circular economy with the aim of reducing waste,” he said.
Our goal, for example, is “for EOA to be a model organization, which will be characterized by transparency” stating that he will work “with unparalleled zeal utilizing his knowledge, experiences” but also his skills so that they are applied policies and procedures, with his partners on his side and the support of the 16-member Board of the Organization. citizens, through the provision of efficient, but also economic services to them, highlighting the EOA of Larnaca in an Organization with solid foundations of which all the people of Larnaca will be proud, transforming the vision of the reform of the Local Self-Government into practice”.
Source: KYPE
