A group of officials from the Ecologists – Citizens’ Cooperation took part in a protest on Tuesday, 15 September, organised by the Akrotiri Residents’ Coordinating Committee against plans by the British Bases to install hundreds of antennas in the Merra area of Akrotiri.
The group called on the Cyprus Government to clearly support residents’ rights and the protection of the Akrotiri wetland. The Ecologists have also requested the publication of technical information and environmental studies relating to the planned infrastructure.
Calls for government intervention
The Ecologists said the government should intervene to suspend the plans and called for the full publication of technical data and environmental assessments concerning potential impacts on public health and the environment.
They also called for independent measurements of electromagnetic radiation.
The group said works related to the maintenance or installation of antennas had already begun in the Merra Akrotiri area and called for specific action by the relevant authorities and the political leadership.
British Bases response
The protest took place near the British Bases’ radio station in Akrotiri, with residents expressing concerns over the planned antenna infrastructure.
The British Bases said the current works in the Akrotiri Salt Lake area concern routine maintenance and are not connected to the Atlas project. The administration also said it is implementing an infrastructure modernisation project involving new equipment and upgrades to existing infrastructure.
The British Bases further said a publicly available study found that the main sources of radio-frequency fields were mobile phone systems and national broadcasting systems, and that it did not identify an increased incidence of cancer, congenital abnormalities or obstetric problems. The administration said it had offered to co-finance an independent study with the Cyprus Government.
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