This week Crete Region’s Vice-governor Nikos Xylouris met with Police Chief Brigadier General Nick Spyridakis to discuss dozens of complaints regarding pollution of Minoa Pediada’s largest river.
According to the news from Crete Region, continuous complaints about rivers of toxic waste from mills and other sources have caused extensive damage to one of the region’s most important and ancient water sources. Also attending the meeting to address the issues were officers and partners of the Police Commissioner and the director of the office of the environment for the entire region, Marinos Kritsotakis.
The Vice-governor and Mr. Kritsotakis informed General Spyridakis and his associates that every day, there are complaints in their service for many cases of pollution of the environment. According to the report, the most serious of all is the extensive pollution that is still in progress in the great river of the Municipality of Minoa, which passes through ten villages.
The officials say the biggest culprit is the illegal disposal of large quantities of benzine in the wells of Archalochiri from physical damage from the recent earthquakes. Also, pipes broken in these events seem to leak raw sewage into groundwater, further exacerbating the situation.
Xylouris and the Police chief decided to cooperate to strengthen and intensify the controls of Police services in the Region, with the cooperation of municipalities, environmental-cultural associations, ΤΟΕΒ, communities, etc.
They pointed out that all stakeholders must comply with waste management protocols and laws. Hundreds of olive mills and other agricultural entities are in Heraklion. The officials pledged to make these environmental concerns a priority and to levy stiff penalties to those contributing to degrading the environment.
