Technical Works Department’s knowledge not enough for the interventions needed
Ionian Islands Region
21 Oct 2021
/ 22:52
CORFU. Ionian Islands Region requested €15m for projects for the island΄s protection – Central Corfu Municipality requested €5m.
Head Engineer at the Hellenic National Defence General Staff and Head at the Design and Construction Unit (MOMKA) Major General Michail Klouvas, will be in Corfu on Monday, along with three colonels, in order to inspect the destroyed infrastructure and to assist the army to deal with the problems caused by the ‘Ballos’ storm.
In the meantime, the local authorities are continuing to record the damage. However, most of the interventions that will be required are beyond the technical knowledge of the Technical Works Department. In most cases, the projects are expected to be contracted out.
“Studies on flood protection are projects that go beyond the technical knowledge of the Technical Works Department. This is why I have asked Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides to prepare a construction study for the flood protection works to be conducted by the Ministry as an urgent procedure, so that it can be done quickly and immediately. All projects will be contracted out, because the Technical Works Department is understaffed and it is not able to prepare specific technical studies.
We only have a word programme available and we have been struggling for over a year to obtain computer programmes, such as design programmes, that we do not have,” Regional Governor for Infrastructure & Technical Works Manolis Orphanoudakis told Enimerosi.
As he said, a request has already been sent to the Directorate for the Restoration of Byzantine Monuments for the Potamos Bridge, in order to place a military type of bridge to assist the citizens until the reconstruction of the existing one. Amongst the top priorities are the three major streams – Kavalarena, Potamos and Messonghi – where big interventions will be made.
Ionian Islands Region requested €18m
Central and South Corfu and Regional Governor Rodi Kratsa, during a meeting headed by Mr. Stylianides, requested a €18 million funding, of which €15 million concern Corfu, based on the total amount of the estimated damages, while the remaining €3 million concern Cephalonia and Zakynthos (€1.5 million each).
Central Corfu Municipality
As for the Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands Municipality, Meropi Ydraiou stated at ERA Corfu that she requested a first emergency funding of €500,000 – 600,000 to cover the costs of interventions for the period 14-21 October regarding the road network etc.
At the same time, the Municipality has already sent a request for funding of approximately €4.5-5 million, in order to carry out the necessary infrastructure projects. "The projects will mainly include retaining walls, restoration of roadway with walls, as well as interventions on slopes in order to avoid landslides – especially in the districts of Parelia and Achillio, where landslide are often and easier to happen due to the soil's consistency,” Mrs. Ydraiou told ERA Corfu.
South Corfu Municipality
Deputy Mayor for Technical Works Nikos Kourtesis told Enimerosi that the recording of damage is continuing, while there is expected to know the exact situation next Monday. Until yesterday morning, however, more than 60 applications for compensation for destroyed houses had been submitted. Regarding the interventions that will be required in infrastructure, he said that for the area of Pavliana, where a large part of the mountain collapsed, many retaining walls will be needed, while a total restoration is required in the road network in Messonghi, Moraitika and the river road, as well as in the technical works regarding rainwater. He also stressed that – if necessary – assistance will be requested by the Corfu branch of the Technical Chamber of Greece and by private contractors.
In the meantime, the local authorities are continuing to record the damage. However, most of the interventions that will be required are beyond the technical knowledge of the Technical Works Department. In most cases, the projects are expected to be contracted out.
“Studies on flood protection are projects that go beyond the technical knowledge of the Technical Works Department. This is why I have asked Civil Protection Minister Christos Stylianides to prepare a construction study for the flood protection works to be conducted by the Ministry as an urgent procedure, so that it can be done quickly and immediately. All projects will be contracted out, because the Technical Works Department is understaffed and it is not able to prepare specific technical studies.
We only have a word programme available and we have been struggling for over a year to obtain computer programmes, such as design programmes, that we do not have,” Regional Governor for Infrastructure & Technical Works Manolis Orphanoudakis told Enimerosi.
As he said, a request has already been sent to the Directorate for the Restoration of Byzantine Monuments for the Potamos Bridge, in order to place a military type of bridge to assist the citizens until the reconstruction of the existing one. Amongst the top priorities are the three major streams – Kavalarena, Potamos and Messonghi – where big interventions will be made.
Ionian Islands Region requested €18m
Central and South Corfu and Regional Governor Rodi Kratsa, during a meeting headed by Mr. Stylianides, requested a €18 million funding, of which €15 million concern Corfu, based on the total amount of the estimated damages, while the remaining €3 million concern Cephalonia and Zakynthos (€1.5 million each).
Central Corfu Municipality
As for the Central Corfu and Diapontia Islands Municipality, Meropi Ydraiou stated at ERA Corfu that she requested a first emergency funding of €500,000 – 600,000 to cover the costs of interventions for the period 14-21 October regarding the road network etc.
At the same time, the Municipality has already sent a request for funding of approximately €4.5-5 million, in order to carry out the necessary infrastructure projects. "The projects will mainly include retaining walls, restoration of roadway with walls, as well as interventions on slopes in order to avoid landslides – especially in the districts of Parelia and Achillio, where landslide are often and easier to happen due to the soil's consistency,” Mrs. Ydraiou told ERA Corfu.
South Corfu Municipality
Deputy Mayor for Technical Works Nikos Kourtesis told Enimerosi that the recording of damage is continuing, while there is expected to know the exact situation next Monday. Until yesterday morning, however, more than 60 applications for compensation for destroyed houses had been submitted. Regarding the interventions that will be required in infrastructure, he said that for the area of Pavliana, where a large part of the mountain collapsed, many retaining walls will be needed, while a total restoration is required in the road network in Messonghi, Moraitika and the river road, as well as in the technical works regarding rainwater. He also stressed that – if necessary – assistance will be requested by the Corfu branch of the Technical Chamber of Greece and by private contractors.
