Let the law be enforced
In the case of the Kifissos River, a comment by author Emmanouil Roidis is extremely apt: «We need a law that will enforce the implementation of laws.» In 1994, when the relevant presidential decree on protecting and restoring the Kifissos River was issued, about 200 workshops and factories were recorded there as well as various smaller businesses. The decree set a 10-year period for their removal, but in 2004 their number had passed the 500 mark; after a two-year extension that ended last summer, they have continued to increase. During all that time, with the exception of a few demolitions, mostly of small shacks, virtually nothing has been done to save the river. Factories continue to operate on the basis of the argument that closing them would raise unemployment. I realize that this consideration is a serious one, but the Kifissos cannot take much more. A director should be appointed to head the Kifissos Management and Restoration Agency without delay and funding should be provided so the necessary action can be taken to protect the natural environment. Over the next few days, I will be asking all the officials in charge to assume their responsibilities. This situation cannot continue. Leandros Rakintzis is general inspector for public administration and a Supreme Court honorary member.
