The waste nightmare persists in South Corfu, with many areas and roads flooded with tons of waste. The health crisis that has emerged prompted a reaction yesterday from Corfu Medical Association of, declaring its determination to take action through every legal means to protect public health.
The temporary solution adopted at the end of November, aimed at alleviating the situation, does not seem to be effective, as after a couple of days cleaned areas fill up again with piles of rubbish. Central roads and many villages continue to be trapped in rubbish, as refuse collection has stopped for about a month now. This is due to residents who opposed the operation of the Waste Transfer Station in Ano Psachna, blocking access to refuse trucks. As a result, the whole of South Corfu is full of tons of rubbish.
The dire situation with piles of rubbish from one end of the municipality to the other led the outgoing municipal authority to temporarily take measures as a solution. With the consent of the head of the Cleaning Service and the contractor responsible for the transfer and transport of waste to Palairos, amendments were made to the contract without additional charges. This allows for the direct collection from the bins using press containers, which will be loaded and sent directly to Palairos without an intermediate stop at the Waste Transfer Station.
Temporary solution not yielding results
However, two weeks later, the area continues to face the nightmare of rubbish. "The situation is bad, and the temporary solution adopted is not yielding results," Deputy Mayor for Cleaning Servicess Nikos Bogdos told Enimerosi. "We collect the rubbish, but after two days, the bins are full again. The problem is serious everywhere in the municipality. Without a waste collection service and Waste Transfer Station, the area cannot be kept clean."
He said that priority has been given to the bins outside schools and is progressing to residential areas and roads. "Tomorrow (today), we will go to Episkopianá and Agios Matthaios. The regional road has started to be cleaned up to Argyrades, and today (yesterday), we will go to Perivoli. However, there are several communities that we cannot reach. There is no way to collect all this rubbish. The solution we are providing now is like a bandaid. Without the Waste Transfer Station, cleanliness cannot exist," he said, adding that the municipal authority will not be drawn into conflict with society.
The scenario of celebrating Christmas with piles of rubbish, however, seems unavoidable for the residents of South Corfu. With time counting down to the end of the term of the outgoing municipal authority, the new Mayor Vassilis Himariotis will need to be ready from January 1st to provide a solution. When contacted by Enimerosi, he said that he was reserving his comments for the next few days.
Warning from Corfu Medical Association
Meanwhile, expressing strong concern about the implications for public health arising from the prolonged and uncontrolled dumping of a large volume of waste on the streets of South Corfu, Corfu Medical Association publicly stated yesterday that it is determined to take action through every legal means to protect the health of the citizens.
In its announcement, it states: "The uncontrolled accumulation of tons of rubbish in public spaces, despite the commencement of their collection, which is happening at a very slow pace, is creating a dangerous environmental situation for public health. With the existing health problem and the continuous degradation of the environment, Corfu Medical Association is determined to take action through every legal means to protect the health of the citizens. It draws attention to the competent authorities so that similar situations can be avoided in the future."
MARIA BAZDRIYIANNI
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