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2007/7/9
The Greek government has promised to take steps that will keep developers off the razed land on Mount Parnitha near Athens where a big forest fire took place last week.
"The total mass of forest on Parnitha is 30,000 hectares and of which, 2,500 hectares were burnt; in terms of the National Forest about 1,000 out of 3,800 hectares were burnt," Public Order Minister Vyron Polydoras said on Thursday.
In a bid to allay concerns that developers will build in the area, the government said aerial photos of the district will be widely published so the public can be better informed about the reforesting process.
Top ministry officials also said the government is determined to make sure the forest will regenerate. "Wherever there was a forest, there will continue to be one. Not one inch will be lost, " said Interior Minister Prokopis Pavlopoulos. "The forest will be protected and will be regrown."
Polydoras attributed the extensive damage to both the extremely hot weather at that time and the inability to properly range fire-fighting forces against it because of the 350 simultaneous blazes that had broken out throughout the country. |
