With the «That's how I want it» seems to be the approach taken by the Municipality of Kythira on the issue of the new drilling in Karava. Early Tuesday morning, a crew arrived with a drill, ready to begin work in Diakopouli, prompting the immediate mobilization of residents who rushed to prevent the start of the process.
The Karavites complain that the village was never informed about the project. As they say, for a year now, no one from the municipal authority has bothered to discuss with the local community an intervention that directly affects them. valuable sources of Karava.
At around 9:30, the Deputy Mayor responsible for water supply, Mr. Panagiotis Zantiotis, in an attempt to reach an agreement. However, the residents accused him of goes hand in hand with Harhalaki's tactics and that did not support their concerns opposed to the decisions of the municipal authority. Their expressions were characteristic «mayor's henchmen» and «we decide and order».
He was notified by residents of the President of the Community, Mr. Zacharias Souris, who arrived around 10:30. At the same time, the following are present at the scene police officers, However, no installation or work has begun yet.
The protests were intense. One resident said:
«The water that runs above (...) you haven't come to fix it for 15 days, you're looking for new water. All summer long, the water has been underground, we have no information about what you plan to do. You're looking to make new holes.».
Intensity is directly related to last year extraordinary general meeting which took place in Karava (05/08/2024) following an invitation from the late local president Kosmas Tzortzopoulos, where residents had unanimously decided to request the withdrawal of the drill and cancellation of drilling in Diakopouli, emphasizing the absence of evidence justifying the intervention, the deviation from the approved Masterplan for water and threat to valuable resources of the region.
According to the latest information, the residents proceeded to in reference to the prosecutor for the suspension of the drilling process in Diakopouliánika, and more is expected to be announced in the coming hours.
Today's mobilization shows that front in Karava remains open and ready to intensify further. Residents say determined to protect their sources, while the municipality's stance is characterized by them as authoritarian and non-transparent.
