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 https://watervolo.blogspot.gr/2013/09/blog-post_8.html also https://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 https://watervolo.blogspot.gr/2013/09/blog-post_12.html and https://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 https://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?” (https://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.

[box] The citizens’ initiative of Pelion call all the inhabitants of the region to attend a discussion-event, at the Labour Centre of Volos on Monday, December 3 at 18.00. The discussion will include local issues concerning the protection of water natural springs of Pelion and the actions of the municipal water company of the area. The agenda includes information about the dangers of privatization of water resources, which the initiative SAVEGREEKWATER supports with printed material which will be distributed to the attendees.[/box]

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THE CITIZENS OF PELION INVITE ALL

 TO A DISCUSSION-EVENT

 REGARDING DRINKING WATER

The Coordinating Committee of the people of Pelion organizes an event-debate regarding drinking water on Monday 3/12 at 18:00 at the Labour Center of Volos.

After over a year of meetings in villages, meetings of the  Coordinating Committee and mobilizations the residents expressed  their  desire  to share their concerns and views with residents of the city that  through Kallikrates became their fellow citizens.

It is a fact hat the problems relating to the adequacy and quality of drinking water in villages both above and below the town are common since the water managing authority DEYAMV and the Municipal Authority that administers it, are one for both regions.

For several years DEYAMV is criticized by the residents of the Planning Group for its policy in the management of drinking water. At times there have been seen in the press complaints about the quality of water, for the pricing policy applied, even for communication policy of the municipal water company. It is after all this time apparent the lack of trust between the company and the citizens – “customers”

DEYAMV is insolvent by now at the eys of the residents of Pelion after the company messed the drinking water with chlorine and took up aggressive policies, ignoring the history, the local economy and the peculiarities of the local communities. Anger and frustration is whhat we have received from our two-year contact with the company.

In our effort to face this aggressive policy,we sought information, we acquired knowledge and formed a round  perspective on the  issues that both the city and the villages are facing which are de facto common.

This is exactly what we would like to expose in an integrated manner, in a constructive discussion with all city residents who are interested. In this discussion we will present our proposal to satisfy the right of Volos residents to drinking water  even straight from the mountain springs.

There is another,  even more important, reason for this communication. And that is the attempted privatization that we will suffer all,  given the will of the IMF and the “rulers” to sell off all natural resources to domestic and foreign investors, who, according to what is happening in the occupied countries, are interested only in maximizing their profits.

We therefore call on the residents of Volos, Nea Ionia and surrounding areas to discuss all these issues and begin to organize our resistance against the policy of DEYAMV that aims to privatize and sell off  the most precious because of its abundance and purity commodity our land: our water

The Coordinating Committee of the people of Pelion

 28/11/2012

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