Everyone’s cooperation is needed to deal with fires during the summer season, head of the Union of Cyprus Communities Andreas Kitromilides said on Sunday adding that village authorities must have the necessary staff and financial resources to cope with their responsibilities.

“Dealing with fires is not only a matter for the communities,” kitromelides told the Cyprus News Agency.

“Some are trying to convince that the competence and responsibility belongs exclusively to the 286 autonomous communities that exist in Cyprus,” he added, “we certainly have responsibilities as local authorities for the cleaning of wild vegetation and illegal garbage dumps but we should also have the right tools, to be able to respond.”

For the third year, the interior ministry has provided a budget for clearing overgrown areas, that this year totalled €1.5 million.

But, he said, finding contractors to carry out this work often proved difficult. Staff of the communities, he said, are unable to carry it out as there not enough of them nor do they have the right tools.

Weed clearing has begun in some communities

He also explained that communities cover 80 per cent of agricultural land in Cyprus, including forests and mountains. “We cannot say that we will clear 80 per cent of the land, however a large part of it must be cleaned, mandatorily and with the assistance of private contractors,” Kitromelides added.

He said that the aim is to have cleared as many plots as possible before the end of June so that “we are ready for the summer season”.

He said according to the interior ministry, a zone of around200m must be cleared around residential areas.

This area might include hills and mountains and difficult to access areas, he said.

Suggestions for how communities can be better helped will be brought up in mid June, he added, when the communities have a meeting with the ministers of interior and agriculture.