Are we going to say "water-water" again?;

What's the status of the water supply project in Agia Pelagia?; There is a lot of conflicting information, and it is still not entirely clear what is happening. One thing is certain: the contractor who had been awarded the project will not continue. «Malicious gossip» accuses him of winning the contract at a steep discount, and now (due to price increases for many materials) it's not in his best interest to continue. It also cited payment delays on the part of the Regional Authority as a contributing factor (a legacy of Patoulis, but also due to Hardalias’s indifference) and led to the «termination» of the contract. The case continues in court…

The same reports indicate that the mayor of Kythira had a falling-out with a regional government official. They are now taking steps to award the contract to the next-lowest bidder (at an additional cost of approximately 200,000 euros).

Regardless of responsibilities, which will be attributed once the situation becomes clear, Residents, business owners, and vacationers in Agia Pelagia take it for granted that they will spend yet another summer dealing with problems in the water supply system (broken pipes, water mixed with dirt coming out of the faucets, etc.). We're talking about the biggest tourist destination on Kythira, with the most beds and, consequently, the greatest need for water. The image of the summer of 2024 was disheartening and damaging to the island’s reputation.

At the same time that the Agia Pelagia water supply project is up in the air, More information is coming to light that raises questions. We have learned that the municipality is having difficulty paying suppliers and contractors for urgent projects. In fact, this issue has been brought before the City Council. In fact, anyone who attended the meetings would have heard Deputy Mayor Kominos say that… «the golden days of Ms. Dourou are gone; I have to admit it, because I lived through those times, when money from the Region was flowing in every direction…». Furthermore, according to information that has come to our attention from two different sources, A significant «cut» in funding for the southern section of the sewer system project is imminent.

It would be good if the municipality were to issue an official statement explaining what is going on with all of this and bringing us up to speed.

Regardless of the details, certain things are clear:

1. The government has abandoned local government; it does not support it financially or institutionally, but rather seeks to strip it of its powers (e.g., water and sewerage companies; see also here). The result is that we are seeing rifts both at the regional level (with Mr. Hardalias resigning from his position as First Vice President of the National Union of Regional Authorities) and at the municipal level. We must not overlook the fact that the overwhelming majority in the regions and municipalities are aligned with the New Democracy party…
2. The situation in the Attica Region is not good. The current regional governor blames his predecessor, Mr. Patoulis, for these issues. What concerns us is that Mr. Hardalias is currently the regional governor and the projects aren't moving forward…
3. The Municipality of Kythira is once again proving unable to take action. As long as the mayor is busy typing away on his keyboard (a prime example is his post about the… Thessaloniki METRO), the more The problems on our islands will just keep piling up!

One thing is certain: in Agia Pelagia (and elsewhere), the atmosphere is electric. Some people may act like hobbyists, But some people have to work to make a living. And they can't afford to lose a year…