Bicommunal cleanup held in and around Nicosia’s old town

Nicosia, Cyprus. Dozens of people joined a bicommunal cleanup operation in and around Nicosia’s old town on Saturday morning, collecting litter from both sides of the divided capital.

The event was organised to mark World Cleanup Day by environmental non-governmental organisation Let’s Do It! Cyprus, with support from the Green Action Movement.

Support for the initiative

Let’s Do It! Cyprus thanked Nicosia’s two mayors, Charalambos Prountzos and Mehmet Harmanci, for supporting the event.

The organisation also thanked Irish Ambassador to Cyprus Sarah Hamilton and the Indian High Commission in Nicosia, which provided free t-shirts featuring Indian anti-colonial freedom fighter Mahatma Gandhi to participants.

Mayors’ statements

Prountzos described the event as “a very important initiative” that “sends a very positive message regarding the need for society to bring about the change it desires”.

He said society can achieve needed changes through participation, community mobilisation and contributions to universal causes including cleanliness and environmental protection. He added that the bicommunal character of the event was particularly important.

Harmanci said he was “very happy” to participate and encouraged civil society to unite for the city, saying that the two communities share environmental problems.

“If one side is polluted, the other is affected,” he said, adding that cooperation and mutual understanding were needed to care for the city’s environment.