Attica’s governor is pursuing a dogged fight to make his region safe, battling bureaucratic hurdles and lack of funding.
Work is in full swing cleaning the streams of Attica that threaten various areas with flooding. “The anti-flood shielding of Attica is a top priority,” said the Governor of Attica, Nikos Hardalias, during a visit on the ground in East Attica.
Hardalias raised concerns about the region’s flood preparedness ahead of the winter season. The area had previously suffered severe damage from a massive wildfire that reached the northern suburbs of Athens in August. In his remarks Hardalias acknowledged the progress made but admitted that Attica is still “not fortified” against potential flooding risks:
“We are fighting the battle of the obvious. In other words, we highlight issues that should have been resolved. There should be regular cleanings, we are trying to rationalize this procedure, to bring some order. Our big problem is the problem of overlaps. That is, there are streams that we clean, streams that the ministry cleans, streams that the municipalities clean. You realize that all this creates many problems.”
The delay of important projects in local government due to bureaucracy or lack of resources is a common phenomenon. Nikos Hardalias has stated that the metropolitan management of prevention projects is the only solution for the protection of Attica, and he has submitted a specific proposal in this regard:
”The part of the proposal that concerns how we should license these projects is progressing step by step, so that we don’t waste valuable time. Some important steps have been taken, but a comprehensive review of the legal tools given to us is needed, especially the financial tools. Because projects without money do not exist. Governments happily transfer the responsibilities to us, but they must complement them with the necessary resources. Without money we cannot execute projects”
So far the services of Attica region have cleaned 19 streams, covering approximately 10.4 kilometers, and by the end of October, they aim to clear another 20.9 kilometers across 19 more streams.
