Newsroom
Larnaca Municipality has pledged to keep pressing for improvements in the port area after residents described ongoing problems linked to dust, neglected properties and poor cleanliness during a public meeting with Mayor Andreas Vyras.
The discussion, held at Larnaca Port on Wednesday, brought together residents, members of the Municipal Council and municipal officials to review current efforts and hear first-hand accounts of the challenges affecting daily life in the neighbourhood.
A major topic was dust generated during the loading and unloading of gypsum and animal feed. Residents said the issue has persisted for years and referred to reports from doctors indicating higher levels of respiratory illness among people living nearby.
Vyras said the Municipality has repeatedly presented the issue to the Cyprus Ports Authority and the responsible ministry, describing it as one of the area's most pressing problems. He said that, until these cargo operations are transferred to the planned industrial port at Vasiliko, reducing dust at Larnaca Port is the only practical short-term option.
According to the Mayor, companies operating at the port, together with the Cyprus Ports Authority, plan to invest between €10 million and €12 million in specialised cargo-handling equipment. The new machinery is expected to cut dust emissions by about 90 per cent, although he stressed that its effectiveness will ultimately be judged after it is put into operation.
He added that the long-term answer remains the development of Vasiliko Port, where gypsum and animal feed handling is expected to be relocated once the necessary infrastructure is completed. While the government has confirmed that the project will go ahead, construction and the transfer of operations will take time.
Residents also drew attention to abandoned homes and commercial buildings, saying they have become gathering points for rubbish and other problems. Vyras explained that municipal crews cannot simply enter private property, even when it has been left vacant, because legal procedures must be followed before any clean-up work can take place. He said some sites have already been cleared, while legal action is continuing in other cases.
Cleanliness across the area also featured prominently during the meeting. The Mayor said illegal dumping remains a persistent problem, with municipal workers often finding that locations cleaned one day are littered again within hours or by the following day. He described identifying those responsible and enforcing penalties as a continuing challenge.
Looking ahead, Vyras said the Cyprus Ports Authority has begun procedures for the unified redevelopment of Larnaca Port and Marina, a project valued at around €400 million. Planning work is expected to begin shortly, while some improvements, including relocating the boatyard from the marina, removing second-hand vessels from the port and carrying out maintenance works, could start before the full redevelopment gets underway.
Residents welcomed the opportunity to present their concerns directly to local officials but said they remain frustrated, arguing that the port district has been neglected for many years despite repeated calls for improvements.
