Athens/Nicosia - The drought-stricken eastern Mediterranean
island of Cyprus will begin importing water from neighbouring Greece
within the next two months in order to deal with a severe water
shortage, reports said Tuesday.
The island's reservoirs have reached dangerously low levels and
its two desalination plants are unable to keep up with industry and
household demand.
Cypriot officials signed a contract with a local company, Ocean
Tankers, to import approximately 8 million cubic metres over the
summer period starting at the end of June.
'The Greek government has promised to give us 8 million cubic
metres - there is an option to increase this amount. Any increase
depends on the goodwill of the Greek government and any needs that
may arise,' said Agriculture Minister Michalis Polynikis after
signing the deal with Ocean Tankers.
Polynikis said that the island's water shortage problem was
estimated at 16 million cubic metres.
The government has applied emergency measures which include
cutting water supply to district distribution networks by 30 per cent
in an effort to tackle the shortage.
Households are supplied with water three times a week for around
12 hours but many across the island claim they are left without water
for up to four to five days.
Cyprus, which is heavily reliant on rainfall for water supplies,
is suffering one of the worst droughts and water shortages of the
past 100 years.
The Mediterranean island's 109 reservoirs are only 9 per cent full
and Cyprus' largest dam, the Kouri, is expected to run dry in the
next few months, according to the most recent data.
According to official statistics, rainfall in Cyprus has dropped
by about 20 per cent over the past 35 years and unseasonal weather
has seen temperatures rising above 30 degrees Celsius.
Across the island, water is being pumped out of the earth at an
unsustainable pace, mainly by farmers who have had to deal with four
consecutive years of water cuts by authorities.
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