Larnaca is one of those cities in the world where the sun shines 300 days a year. However, the rare storms that hit it during the winter months cause a lot of inconvenience to the locals. The lack of an effective stormwater drainage system is the main cause of constant flooding in Larnaca, with the Kamares area suffering the most. It is estimated that over the last 8 years alone, heavy rainfall has caused more than €2 million worth of damage to the area. Realizing the need to address the cause of constant flooding, the local mayor's office has announced its intention to launch a flood control project.
Specifically, on Wednesday, January 24, Larnaca Municipality announced a tender for the installation of a flood control system in the Kamares area.
It is worth noting that the budget for the project was decided to increase to €6.6 million from the original €4.1 million. The mayor's office said that the Ministry of Interior had previously underestimated the cost of the work, which caused some delays in the implementation of the project. The tender is expected to be finalized in April and the works are expected to start no later than June 2024. The project is expected to be completed in 30 months, barring any force majeure events. The project will be realized based on a study prepared by the consortium of D.Toumazis and Associates Consulting Engineers.
Larnaca has previously completed the first phase of the construction of a large-scale stormwater system.
Within the framework of the contract concluded for a total amount of €1.89 million, 3 km of catchment pipes were installed, which will serve the catchment area around Alexandrou Panagouli Avenue. By the way, the flood control system covers the territory on both sides of the avenue. According to the idea, the pipes will collect excess rainwater and direct it to the existing channel of Spiros Kyprianou Avenue.
It should be noted that the project was realized by the company S. HADJICHRISTOFI CONSTRUCTION LIMITED, which won the relevant tender. According to the study, the probability of flooding in Larnaca after the necessary works will be 1 in 50 (2%). This is assuming that the frequency of rainfall remains unchanged. Further works will include the widening of road bridges in the areas of Kalo Chorio, Mirmidonon Street, and Limassol Avenue, among others. The embankments and rubble in the Kalo Chorio river bed on the avenue will be removed.