Admitting that the fire in Varnava got out of control, destroying properties and causing significant environmental damage, Kyriakos Mitsotakis yesterday from Penteli attempted to smooth over the strong reactions and the impression that the state mechanism is not functioning, announcing a package of 10 measures for the forests of Attica.
With his visit to the burned areas and the inter-ministerial meeting in the municipality of Penteli against the backdrop of the destroyed lands – and the slogans of the protesters – the Prime Minister aimed to show, as his associates stated, that he does not hide from difficulties (as the opposition claims) but, on the contrary, confronts them with solutions. Quick solutions for the restoration of those affected, with inspections already completed and the state aid platform already opened, to expedite the first compensations within 10 days for immediate needs.
“We had to face a difficult fire, the only major fire to date – I want to hope – this summer, which caused significant environmental damage and obviously destroyed many properties. What happened during the fire is something that will be discussed and studied, just as every fire that spins out of control is analyzed,” said Kyriakos Mitsotakis after the completion of the meeting with relevant ministers, the Region, and the mayors of the 8 municipalities affected by the fire.
Concerns and measures for floods
The next challenge is the management of floods and the works that need to be done now in the forest, and indeed immediately. “Our will is to proceed with the works very quickly, so that the basic interventions occur within such a timeframe to limit, to the extent possible, any potential flooding phenomena that may arise as a result of extreme events that might come in the coming months,” said the Prime Minister, presenting a package of 10 measures for the next day in Attica, as well as the future of the forests.
According to the data presented, the burned areas reach 103,000 acres; however, it is mostly low vegetation. The contribution of cleared plots in preventing the fire’s spread was so significant that it was deemed necessary to enhance it even further since where there were uncleared plots, houses and businesses turned to ashes. The plan for the next day in Attica includes, among other things:
–Reforestation on 53,340 acres in Attica through the AntiNero program
–Management studies for all forests of Attica, covering a total area of 1.4 million acres
–Preparation of fire prevention studies for the entire country, covering a total area of 42 million acres
–1 billion euros from national and community resources for forest protection
First the forests near the settlements
The recent fire that reached Vrilissia highlighted the problem of suburban forests and streams which, if not cleared, can pose a danger to entire communities.
This was also the issue raised at the meeting by the mayors of the affected areas, while the mayor of Chalandri emphasized the need for comprehensive urban planning in the area. “The damage occurred around the cemetery, where everyone did whatever they wanted in the area,” said Mr. Roussos, presenting another long-standing issue.
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