2024-04-21 21:46:52
The re-examination of the file of the small hydroelectric project “Kalarrytikos”, with a power of 1.5 MW, is requested by the mayor of North Tzoumerka, Nikos Vaitsis, in his letter to the Natural Environment and Climate Change Organization (OFYPECA), the Service for New Monuments and Technical Projects of Epirus, North of Ionian and Western Macedonia and the Department of Byzantine and Post-Byzantine Antiquities and Museums of the Ephorate of Antiquities of Ioannina.
Mr. Vaitsis calls on them to instruct the scientific groups and the relevant levels of their services to re-check the data concerning the project, which is located on the Kalarritiko River, near the Holy Monastery of Kipina, taking into account the concerns of the local society and local government.
“The protection of the valley of the Kalarrytikos river from any form of intervention, especially this type of facility, is an inviolable condition for our Municipality. The natural wealth, the respect for the environment, the religious and cultural monuments, we consider to be a basic condition for the viable and sustainable development of the wider region. The unique natural beauty, the Byzantine monuments of great importance, the traditional settlements, the unique flora and fauna are the comparative advantage but also part of the special cultural identity of the region”, says the mayor of North Tzoumerko initially, mentioning that on the way to the Municipality of of the waters of the Arachthos River, created by the union of the Kalarritikos River and the Metsovitikos River, passes through eight historically emblematic stone bridges and four of the leading Byzantine monuments of Epirus.
N. Vaitsis points out that in the wider area of the proposed project, other smaller hydroelectric plants have received producer certificates, which are not located in the main branch of the Kalarritikos and Arachthos rivers, but in contributing watercourses, which the Municipality examines on a case-by-case basis and has not presented so far special objections.
Then the argumentation of the Municipality of North Tzoumerka, which justifies the opposition to the construction and operation of the small hydroelectric project, is listed in detail, with one of the main reasons being that the location of the generating station, as well as all the required interventions in the river bed, it will be visible from the most important monument of the area, the Holy Monastery of Kipina. The water intake technician is located just 600 m from the monastery and there is visual contact, while the stone bridges “Raftani” and “Sygkouna” are also affected. In addition, it is emphasized that the deforestation of the riparian vegetation, the felling and uprooting of forest bushes and trees and the disposal of the products in the area of the wider valley are inevitable, while it is pointed out that the execution of excavation and earthworks and the scattering of materials in the surrounding area and especially in streams, but also the forced diversions of water quantities, will bring about huge and at the same time negative geomorphological changes in the wider environment, without even ensuring the essential conditions for restoration.
Especially the diversions and in general the interventions in the waterways, will contribute negatively to the rescue of the wild trout, which is an integral part of the environmental wealth of the Arachthos river. Finally, it is stated that the generated noise of the production unit, as well as the sound attenuation of the water stream in the specific area will universally change the physical image of the environment.