Volos Citizens Movement Press Release:
Chlorination of water sources in Pelion by DEYAMV (Volos Municipal Water Company)
Despite the wide pan-European acceptance of the citizens’ actions against the privatization of water services DEYAMV apparently prepares itself to be set under private control:
Chlorination of water sources forces citizens to stop using water from these and either use filters or buy (privately) bottled water (if they can suffer the cost). At the same time DEYAMV plans building a pipeline network, collecting water from everywhere in the area and restructuring the centuries old field watering system in the prefecture, without informing anyone or taking into account the consumers’ views on the issue. Such actions cause great concern that DEYAMV’s intentions lie far from respecting the consumers’ interests. Also a local store selling water filters started business right after the chlorination of the Mana source in Portaria, Pelion.
On the issue the Citizens’ Water Movement (which has been trying but without success long for obtaining a hearing with DEYAMV) called a general meeting for Sunday 8th Sep-tember. The Portaria Citizens’ Movement called the area municipal grandees to take part, but only one appeared (G. Siokos), as well as MP Mrs Chrysoveloni. Such General Meeting took into account previously taken decision of several village and town citizen meetings and proceeded with disconnecting the chlorination system. On Wednesday 11th September citizens of nearby villages, following a summons by the Portaria Citi-zens’ Movement, proceeded with cleaning the area around the Mana water source. (On these see http://watervolo.blogspot.gr/2013/09/blog-post_8.html also http://watervolo.blogspot.gr/2013/09/15.html)
The local media, having reported nothing on the above, came up almost a week after speaking of sabotage in the DEYAMV installations and announced that DEYAMV were going to take legal actions against the “unknown” saboteurs. Despite that the Citizens Movement actions, intentions and summons have been made public and were known by everyone in the area.
Chlorination has always been put forth as a means of protecting public health despite several studies having shown that it creates more problems than it solves (cancer and heart problems being quite common among the users). We can suffer the intermittent use of chlorine in order to overcome certain problems but its permanent use shall be avoided. Such problems always coming forth, however, only during the high vacation season, leads us to believe that the authorities are not willing to find a permanent citi-zen- and environment friendly solution to the issue, but are using the “emergency” to promote practices that lie far beyond their competence and their duty. Such practice also leads those uninformed to conclude that the water of the area is unsuitable for drinking. Mass media widely advertising such problems is another step leading to pri-vate prospectors coming to save the day.
Information about the chlorination of water and the effects of chlorine to people, ani-mals and plants can be found in http://watervolo.blogspot.gr/2013/09/blog-post_12.html and http://cleaningfed.gr/view.php?v=329 .
As is pointed out by the study “Water without chlorine from Pelion” of A. Grohman, (ex director of Berlin Water Service) there are other more healthy and human- and environ-ment-friendly ways to keep a water network clean and proper http://neroxorisxlorio.wordpress.com/%CE%BC%CE%B5%CE%BB%CE%AD%CF%84%CE%B7/
The Pelion and Volos Citizens Movements held a meeting (28th September) during which several locals reported that animals in the area refrain from drinking water, being repulsed by its odour, and that the amount of chlorine in it is no less than that in a public swimming pool. N. Psaros has recorded the meeting to include it in his upcoming documentary titled “Pelion: is there a Water War going on?” (http://unfollow.com.gr/home/item/301-unfollow-22.html ).
The above citizens meeting concluded that water issues are one only of the problems we in Greece are facing today: facing a government whose only concern is how to better serve certain private interests (as with the privatization of water companies in Thessaloniki and Athens) we citizens have to remain alert and united and ready to defend our inalienable rights.
