Two consecutive meetings on the flood protection of Attica – one with the operational agencies and one with the OTA representatives – were held today at noon by the Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Vassilis Kikilias, with the participation of the Deputy Minister of the KPP, Evangelos Tournas, the General of Civil Protection, Vassilis Papageorgiou and the Regional Governor of Attica, Nikos Hardalia.

“We concluded a very important meeting, together with the Regional Governor of Attica, Nikos Hardalia, with the subject of the most difficult scenario that we may be called upon to face with flooding phenomena in Attica“, Mr. Kikilias emphasized, adding that the cooperation concerns “the Armed Forces, the Greek Police, the Fire Brigade, the Coast Guard, the EKAV and all the parameters and possibilities that the state machine gives us, so that we can timely to notify with 112, to remove people from the streets, if there may be traffic bans, to organize our forces in those parts of Attica that are vulnerable, i.e. in areas and streams that are dangerous or crowded or in areas in which the average height is such that they may be at risk”

The goal, as the minister said, is “in the best possible way, to smooth out, to reduce, to “pick up” the consequences of such a phenomenon. Cooperation is a given with everyone and the effort is made interdisciplinary and jointly with both levels of Local Government: Of course with the Region of Attica but also with the ladies and gentlemen Mayors”.

The first meeting was attended by the leadership of the Fire Brigade, the Lieutenant-General-Commander of the Research and Construction Unit of GEETHA, Michael Klouvas, the General Inspector of Southern Greece of ELAS, Georgios Michalopoulos, the Major-General of ELAS, Panagiotis Kollintzas, the Deputy Chief of of the Coast Guard, Tryfon Kontizas and the president of EKAV, Nikos Papaefstathiou.

The second meeting was attended by executives and Service Directors of the Attica Region and representatives of all the Municipalities of the basin (mayors/deputy mayors/deputy mayors of Civil Protection).

For his part, the Regional Governor of Attica, Nikos Hardalias, emphasized that the first stage concerns the operational data for dealing with a situation of severe flooding, especially for Attica and especially for Athens and its metropolitan characteristics. And at the same time, in cooperation again with the Ministry and with the competent state bodies and with the Municipalities, we are continuing the large part of the clean-ups throughout Attica, but also the launching of the major anti-flood projects that the capital and the Attica Region need. 4.5 million inhabitants is our big bet and I think that all the data related to the maturation of the relevant studies, but also to the financing of the big projects are in the knowledge of the Government, so together we are trying to plan and implement what is needed for to shield our Attica better.