Engomi and Archangelos worst hit by weekend flooding in Nicosia

Nicosia, Cyprus. Engomi and Archangelos suffered the most severe damage during weekend weather, Nicosia’s regional disaster management authority said on Monday. Officials called for major flood-control projects and stronger coordination between services.

Infrastructure studies

Authority president and Nicosia EOA chief Constantinos Yiorkadjis said studies are under way in areas where flooding resulted from structural weaknesses or missing infrastructure.

In Engomi, officials are examining why the area lacks a complete stormwater system, why the relatively modern 28th October street continues to flood, and why two planned retention lakes were not constructed.

“The solutions, unfortunately, to such major problems will not be immediate, because we are talking about the creation of new, important and large infrastructure projects,” Yiorkadjis said.

Drain maintenance and coordination

Yiorkadjis said the authority now operates a dedicated team to clean and maintain stormwater drains daily, rather than only before storms.

Some areas were cleaned for the first time last year after years of visible neglect, he said.

When yellow weather warnings are issued, the authority consults Nicosia’s five municipalities and inspects known problem areas, deploying crews to clear drain grills as adverse weather begins.

Disconnected networks

Yiorkadjis attributed many weaknesses in the network to the district’s former municipal structure, under which 10 municipalities operated separate and unconnected stormwater systems before local government reform.

“There were ten municipalities and ten unconnected networks of stormwater pipes,” he said, adding that unifying the system would take time after decades of insufficient investment.

Planned projects

Work is progressing on several projects, including the Vasilopotamos enclosed pipeline near Digenis Akritas, valued at more than €2 million and expected to begin shortly.

A study is also under way for a new stormwater project between Lakatamia and Strovolos near the GSP stadium, with construction targeted for early next year.