Just over a month after a deadly fire swept through mountainous Limassol, killing two people and burning over 120km2 of land, numerous communities have taken no action to clear dry vegetation from roadside areas under their jurisdiction.
The Fire Service confirmed that a significant percentage of annual blazes stem from failure to remove dry grass and debris from roadside ditches. Drivers frequently discard lit cigarettes from vehicles, which ignite uncleared vegetation and trigger fires with unpredictable consequences.
Despite government funding allocated through governors to communities specifically for roadside grass removal, some community councils have not submitted related applications for assistance.
Dry grass remains uncleared 36 days after mountain fires
The Kornos-Delikipos-Lefkara road exemplifies the problem, with photographs showing asphalt, grass and pine trees merged into continuous vegetation. In some cases, grass has spread across road surfaces.
Areas where vegetation was cleared before the recent Limassol fires saw homes saved, while neighbouring properties without clearance were destroyed.
Government funds available but communities fail to apply
Appeals from the Interior Ministry, governors and the Fire Service for cleaning grass on both sides of roads have gone unheeded in many areas. The problem extends beyond primary arterial routes to secondary roads used by drivers avoiding traffic or travelling through pine-forested areas.
The Lefkara Municipality, now responsible for the Kornos and Delikipos villages, announced tenders for weed clearing from main and agricultural road arteries only two days ago, according to information.
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