Acheloos: Diversion projects up in the air

No matter how many years pass, the diversion of the Acheloos river will not cease to provoke tensions, confrontations and disputes between Thessaly and Western Greece. The "haunted" project - for about half a century - was once again at the center of the… cross-border dispute between the local dignitaries of the two regions, with the regional governors Konstantinos Agorastos and Nektarios Farmakis raising their voices, in a public debate in Zappeion.

At the heart of their defiance was the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Mesochora hydroelectric project, which has been put to consultation, with Mr. Farmakis stating that it is not supported by the regional authority of Western Greece as it is based on incomplete data. at the same time that this is a project that has been judged many times by the Council of State (seven annulment decisions have been issued) and even announcing a new court dispute.

For his part, Mr. Agorastos defended the prospect of continuing the works of diversion of river water to the Thessalian plain, pointing out that the project must be completed providing water for Thessalian farmers, with lower energy costs. He even blamed his counterpart Mr. Farmakis for lack of sympathy and support, while the governor of Western Greece implied that it is the wrong choices in water management in Thessaly that have created the problem.

However, the consultation on the EIA has caused a general conflict, with the Coordinating Committee of Etoloakarnania against the diversion of Acheloos, which unites citizens, as well as various local and technical bodies, to remain firmly in its steadfast position against the operation of the PPC hydroelectric power plant in Mesochora. This is because, according to the Coordination, the Mesochora...