The weather here continues very hot and dry. It's been a long dry summer and you can see it in the parched look of the countryside. Cyprus has long suffered from water shortages which leads to rationing over the summer months and large areas of the island being made unsuitable for agriculture. In particular the Mesaoria Plain, the huge area of land which lies between the Troodos and the Besparmak Mountains is a dry, arid flatland currently. The water rationing does not affect our house because we have an enormous (20 tonne) holding tank fed by the mains which protects our supply during the 3 days off/1 day on summer period. However, in a small way, compared to the benefits to farmers, having water for irrigation would make a massive difference to the garden. We have installed a grey water irrigation system but this is often not enough during the long dry months of summer.
That is hopefully all about to change!
On Saturday an amazing engineering feat came to fruition with the opening of the water pipeline linking northern Cyprus to Turkey. The huge pipeline runs 50 miles under the sea at a depth of 250m and delivers 75 million cubic metres of water a year to the reservoirs here on the north east coast. There is enough to maintain this supply for the next 50 years. The water which has already started to flow will be divided roughly 50/50 between domestic users and for farmers' irrigation. In particular, Mesaoria will be irrigated giving thousands of acres of new agricultural land. Named the Pipeline of Peace, the water will also be available to the south of the island on any re-unification, that has always been part of the promise.
We can in any case look forward to a far better supply both of domestic water and range of vegetables and fruit - already fantastic. The irrigation of previously unusable farming land will create a possible surplus for export.
Of course there are some political quibbles. The management procedures had been agreed in 2011 when the work began but very recently a group of Cypriot mayors who traditionally control water allocation here decided they would like to manage the pipeline as well. Understandably, the Turkish consortium who built it are very much less than enthused by this idea. Frankly most of us who experience the "expertise" of the Cypriot local government system would also rather the Turkish consortium ran the pipeline LOL! No doubt a feelings-saving compromise has been agreed. In any case, the water is flowing. And of course, there have been howls of protest from politicians in the Greek south who view the entire project as a further Turkish incursion. No matter that the water will benefit the island and has been promised - publically promised - to all areas after re-unification. But then, we must remember that a couple of years ago, in the summer, when the Republic blew up its only power station by allowing a ship carrying illegal arms to be moored next to it for some years, the Archbishop refused all air conditioning to be allowed because it would mean buying electricity - on offer - from the "Occupied". This is akin to condemning people, say in Siberia, to live without heating: the old and vulnerable die. Sigh......
So, let the water flow on..... the Green Island is going to get greener.
That is hopefully all about to change!
On Saturday an amazing engineering feat came to fruition with the opening of the water pipeline linking northern Cyprus to Turkey. The huge pipeline runs 50 miles under the sea at a depth of 250m and delivers 75 million cubic metres of water a year to the reservoirs here on the north east coast. There is enough to maintain this supply for the next 50 years. The water which has already started to flow will be divided roughly 50/50 between domestic users and for farmers' irrigation. In particular, Mesaoria will be irrigated giving thousands of acres of new agricultural land. Named the Pipeline of Peace, the water will also be available to the south of the island on any re-unification, that has always been part of the promise.
We can in any case look forward to a far better supply both of domestic water and range of vegetables and fruit - already fantastic. The irrigation of previously unusable farming land will create a possible surplus for export.
Of course there are some political quibbles. The management procedures had been agreed in 2011 when the work began but very recently a group of Cypriot mayors who traditionally control water allocation here decided they would like to manage the pipeline as well. Understandably, the Turkish consortium who built it are very much less than enthused by this idea. Frankly most of us who experience the "expertise" of the Cypriot local government system would also rather the Turkish consortium ran the pipeline LOL! No doubt a feelings-saving compromise has been agreed. In any case, the water is flowing. And of course, there have been howls of protest from politicians in the Greek south who view the entire project as a further Turkish incursion. No matter that the water will benefit the island and has been promised - publically promised - to all areas after re-unification. But then, we must remember that a couple of years ago, in the summer, when the Republic blew up its only power station by allowing a ship carrying illegal arms to be moored next to it for some years, the Archbishop refused all air conditioning to be allowed because it would mean buying electricity - on offer - from the "Occupied". This is akin to condemning people, say in Siberia, to live without heating: the old and vulnerable die. Sigh......
So, let the water flow on..... the Green Island is going to get greener.
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