The floods that hit the Pen in 2017 with disastrous results and death 25 peoplecame to the fore again this time, as the case was tried in the second degree and responsibilities were assigned for the rapid inflow of water in parts of the city, due to faulty handling of problems with arbitrary constructions in the stream beds.

Inevitably, they come back again the questions about anti-flood shielding of the area, about safety from strong phenomena and about proper management of the streams, even more so when in between there were also the big fires in the mountains around Mandra, which deforested huge areas of forest.

To these very questions and on the occasion of the trial, the Athenian Agency was asked to answer the new mayor of Mandra-Idyllia, Armodios Drikos.

“Our area is suffering. In 2017 and 2018 we had the big floods with loss of life and in 2021 the big fire, but also in 2023 the fire in Dervenochoria, which reached the edge of the city. Everyone now understands the problem and the dangers for the region and let’s start, before we get to the State and the Region, from what we are doing as a municipality”, Mr. Drikos tells us initially and continues:

“When I took over administration at the beginning of the year, one of the first things I did was to ask the competent services here about the Civil Protection Plan we are following. And with great surprise I heard that they told me that there is no such Plan in the municipality. What’s going on? What are we doing? How do we operate in a critical situation, in an emergency? Where do the powers go? Where is the world moving? Nothing! As the responsibility of the municipality, nothing had been done!

So we made it a priority and within the semester the municipality acquired a Civil Protection Plan, not only for fires and floods, but also for snow, as in winter we also have such issues in Villas and elsewhere, and for earthquakes, but also for industrial accident. In other words, there is planning for all five of these cases. So, as a municipality, we begin to assume the obligations that correspond to us. We also installed smart systems for the forests, such as drone surveillance and prevented fires especially this summer.”

Immediately after, the mayor of Mandras-Idyllia passes his report to the second level of Self-Government and talks about the anti-flood protection. He specifically says: “From there, our responsibility is small in terms of streams for example, as their management and cleaning is the responsibility of the Region, however we want to help in this area as well.

2017 was the big flood with very heavy rain, which according to measurements reached 280 mm. Then, the Region started the projects to shield the area from similar phenomena.

Personally, I have no reason to doubt that these projects have been carried out to shield the area according to the data of the time, but another question inevitably arises, because we are living in a period of climate change and the phenomena are becoming more and more intense. The question arises, if Mandra is shielded against stronger situations than those of 2017? I believe that it may not be for a rain of more than 400 millimeters, let’s say, as was that rain in Volos. Such powerful phenomena are no longer rare in the times we live in. So can we withstand such higher levels of rain? If not, then let’s proceed immediately as a State and as a Region in additional shielding projects, so that the region can withstand”.

And Mr. Drikos concludes: “Enormous forest areas in the area have been burned and the absorption capacity has been lost to a large extent. So this is our anxiety and mine and that of the citizens. If we withstand stronger phenomena. And as a municipality, we have transferred it in writing to the State, the Region, the Forestry Department and elsewhere.”

Region of Attica: The shielding of Western Attica is our highest priority

“The anti-flood shielding of Western Attica is a top priority for Metropolitan Attica” the regional governor Nikos Hardalias has stated repeatedly on the occasion of the huge damages to property and forest lands caused by the fires of ’21 and ’23 in the Geraneia mountains, in Vilia, in Mandra and the wider area that had been severely affected, just a few years earlier by the deadly storm on Mount Patera and the floods that followed.

About the multi-level measures and projects that have been taken and planned in order to effectively protect lives and property as well as for the natural environment, the deputy regional governor of Western Attica Kleanthis Varelas and the head of the independent civil protection directorate of the Region, Nikos Pasha, speak to APE-MPE.

In particular, Mr. Varelas quoted a detailed table with the cost lists and schedules of the projects and studies that were executed or are being executed and at what stage they are, whether they concern streams, rainwater, dams, etc.

For his part, the head of Civil Protection, N. Pasha, underlines to us: “The issue of cleaning and armoring in general in Western Attica, which concerns the defense of human life, human property and the natural environment, requires the undertaking initiatives and execution of the corresponding technical projects.

In this direction, projects and studies are being carried out by the Directorate of Technical Works of the Regional Unit of Western Attica (P.ED.A.), by the Directorate of Technical Services of the Region of Attica and by the Directorate of Flood Protection”.

Indicatively, he summarizes, the studies of dams to stop flooding and to hold back catchment basins in the areas affected by the Vilia fire in 2021 and by the Geraneia mountains fire in 2021 are in the process of being tendered, as well as the study to update the diversion of the stream Agia Paraskevi and the adequacy control of the implemented project of diverting the Mavratza stream to the Parapiga stream.

Furthermore, the preparation of studies for the streams of Kinetas and the studies of demarcation and arrangement of the stream of Giorgi in Nea Peramos, and the streams of Neraki and Loutropyrgos, the other streams of Nea Peramos and the stream of Kamara in the Municipality of Megareo are in progress.

In addition, the maintenance and cleaning of the rainwater wells in the road network under the authority of P.E.D.A. is being carried out, the flood protection of the eastern basin of the D.E. is in progress. Above Liosion of the Municipality of Fylis, as well as the stormwater drainage of D.E. Magoula of the Municipality of Elefsina.

In conclusion, Mr. Passas informs us that the cleaning of the PEDA streams is in the process of being signed, as well as assistance in the policing of said streams.