‘We’re hoping that downpours don’t come soon’
«We hope the first rains are light and we don’t have heavy downpours, because otherwise we will suffer major damage.» So said the people overseeing erosion and flood prevention projects in areas hit by the recent fires. The area in question is vast, in many cases extremely steep, while many rivers and streams have not been cleared for years. Any work in the forests must be done by specialists, woodcutters from forestry cooperatives, who for the first time in years have more work than they can handle. Meanwhile, though funds are said to be available, the sums required are large and not always disbursed promptly. The projects that get approval are those that have highest priority, Ileia prefecture’s forestry chief Panayiotis Stathopoulos told Kathimerini. Of the more than 90,000 hectares burnt in the prefecture, half of which is forest and woodland, work will be done on 1,600 hectares. The cost of constructing the flood and erosion prevention works is budgeted at 12 million euros, which gives an indication of the extent of the work that is needed. In the Pyrgos forestry district, for instance, where 20,000 hectares were burnt, 600 hectares will be fortified with 410 kilometers of trunk bundles, 72 webs made of branches and 31,500 square meters of wooden barriers. They will be used in very steep areas and the streambeds in towns, Stathopoulos explained. At present, 185 forestry workers from northern Greece are working feverishly in Ileia, and work teams have been employed to clear streams. Local municipalities and the Public Works Ministry are also rerouting some rivers and streams. Ileia Prefect Haralambos Kafyras is not very optimistic: «If the rains start now, I don’t think we’ll cope. Besides,» he said, «other action is needed and there are very many streams and rivers that have to be cleared. Decisions are made quickly, but funds take quite a few days to be disbursed.» Evia, where some 24,000 hectares were burnt, faces different problems. A study has been made of what needs to be done in Theologos and Mystrou forest, but the land in question is privately owned and the work must be carried out by the proprietors. Forestland in the area, which was also burnt in 1998, do not have wood so tree trunks must be brought in from elsewhere for the projects. Asked whether the planned projects are sufficient, Aliveri forestry chief Thanassis Marinos replied: «The question is whether they’ll get done in time. We have done about 60 percent of the work, which will be completed in early November.» Even Public Works Minister Giorgos Souflias has had to admit that there is little time and the burnt expanses are immense. With the exception of Mount Parnitha, where the anti-flood works had been started before fires ravaged the Peloponnese, the ministry and local authorities are concentrating on streams and areas where there have been problems in the past. Ileia: Around 30 percent of the erosion-prevention work is complete in Olympia, Amaliada and Krestaina. And rivers – the Secheios in Amaliada, Kladeos in Olympia and Akida in Zacharo – have been cleared. Work on clearing the Neda in Fygaleia and the Alpheios in Pyrgos is due for completion in October. Arcadia: The Public Works Ministry says that anti-erosion work started in early September in the basin of the Alpheios; 35 percent of the work is ready and the rest will be completed in early October. Laconia: The management agency of the Parnonas-Mousto park has received funding of 350,000 euros to complete flood-prevention works in the area by the end of October. Work on the Kelefina stream, an offshoot of the Evrotas River, will be finished by early October, and work starts this week on the Evrotas, at the entrance to Sparta. Messenia: The final 20 percent of the work on the basin of the Nedotas River is expected to be completed by the end of October. In Kalamata the Krazenia, Xerila and Politaiikou streams have already been cleared. In Ano Messenia, work is finished on the Xiria River, and is expected to be finished on the Haradros River in a week. Work teams have repaired the Xiria dam and are working on the Haradros embankment, which should be ready by the end of the month. Achaia: The management organization of the protected Helmos-Vouraiko area received half a million euros from the Public Works Ministry to undertake anti-erosion work. Corinthia: The Rachiani and Periyialiou streams have been cleared and work has finished on the Seliandrou and Kato Dimnio streams. Work is in progress on part of the Asopos River and on the Kyrillos stream in Kiato, and is due to finish in two weeks. Prefecture work teams are working on the Elissona stream in Kiato, while anti-erosions work and stream clearing is in progress around Steira in Evia. Attica: On Parnitha 82 percent of the anti-erosion work is done. Two contractors are clearing parts of the Eschatia stream – above and below ground – in Menidi and Liosia. The construction of a safety outlet on Fylis Avenue is 85 percent complete, and work is under way on repairing small dams on the Eschatia and Aghia Triada streams, clearing the Aghios Giorgios Yiannoula stream in Thriassio, and anti-erosion work in the Stefani basin at Dervenohoria. In addition, small but urgent repairs to parts of the bed and banks of the Kifissos River are currently under way. Erosion-prevention work is also taking place on two streams on Mt Pendeli and is expected to be completed sometime in October, while small erosion-prevention projects will commence in October on Mount Hymettus and at Kalyvia.
