Judicial probe into blizzard
An Athens prosecutor yesterday ordered investigations into why the capital’s water supply, in addition to the Eleftherios Venizelos Airport and two major highways, was so badly affected by last week’s blizzards. One part of the investigation will examine whether public health was jeopardized as a result of cuts in the water service that affected large sections of Athens over the weekend, as well as why tap water was often muddy, when available. The government claims that the shortages were caused by intense demand, which it said hit an all-time record at 2.1 million cubic meters – compared to the previous high of 1.5 million cubic meters in August. Opposition parties attributed the problem to network failure. Furthermore, a prosecutor will look into why the new Attiki Odos highway and parts of the national road from Athens to Thessaloniki were closed by the snow, resulting in hundreds of motorists being stranded in their vehicles, and why many flights (some 750) at Athens Airport had to be canceled between Thursday and Sunday.
