If any evidence of the government’s scandalously slapdash approach to the country’s water shortage problem was required, it was provided by reports that the ministries of interior and agriculture were in discussions about the use of seawater in the swimming pools of new seaside hotels. The idea was raised a few weeks ago by the Water Development Department at a meeting with the Town Planning Department, without any specifics being decided.

Agriculture Minister Maria Panayiotou said this dialogue, which was about big developments and swimming pools, was at an advanced stage and she hoped to see the proposal at the cabinet meeting in the coming weeks.

According to Politis, Panayiotou had been “in extended discussions with the market, had seen what had been implemented in Spain and what Greece was trying to enforce,” regarding swimming pools with sea water. A relevant law had been passed in Greece in January, but subsequently concerns were expressed about the environmental harm of passing this water back into the sea.

Would this measure make the slightest bit of difference to the water situation, considering that the sea-water rule would apply only to new seaside developments? Existing seaside hotel and apartment complexes would not be expected to use seawater in their pools because this would be difficult and costly, said the minister.

But if the existing hotel units are not obliged to use seawater, the proposed law would be pointless. How many new seaside developments would there be in the next three to five years, considering most of the coasts are already covered with hotels?

This is nothing more than a publicity exercise that has two objectives, neither of which involves any real conservation of our water resources.

First the government wants to be seen doing something about the water situation and second it wants to appease the farming community, which has been, justifiably, complaining about the fact that all water-saving measures target the farming sector.

Hotels have not had to cut back on water use, their lawns and gardens are in perfect condition, despite the fact we are living in drought conditions.

What about houses with swimming pools and big lawns? Why are they allowed to carry on watering their lawns when using a hosepipe is an offence carrying a hefty fine?

A government that allows large-scale water waste by hotels, without imposing any restrictions, but has a policy of penalising farmers by constantly cutting their water supply has got its priorities all wrong. And nothing illustrates this more accurately than the laughable decision to legally oblige new coastal developments to use seawater for their swimming pools.

The superficiality with which water policy is approached is astounding. How much water will be saved by Panayiotou’s seawater law next year, if it affects the swimming pools in three new developments?