EU financed Waste Management Services project in the TRNC

A promotional event was held at The Olive Tree Hotel, Catalkoy, relating to the project “Transfer Station and Improved Waste Management Services”, which will be utilized by 4 municipalities on the northern coastline and is funded by the Municipality of Girne and by the Community Development 4th Grant Program by the European Union.  

Renaud Henoumont, the European Commission’s Community Development and Cultural Heritage Section Manager and Agustin Moya Colorado attended the meeting with the Mayor of Girne, Nidai Güngördü,  Lapta Mayor – Fuat Namsoy, Çatalköy Mayor – Mehmet Hulusioğlu, Alsancak Mayor – Fırat Ataser, and the relevant unit personnel of the municipalities

The project is aimed to improve the living standards by improving the solid waste management in Girne, Alsancak, Lapta and Çatalköy Municipalities and transferring to a transfer station to the south of Girne West Circumference Road. The project will be completed in 36 months with the cooperation of the key stakeholders – Alsancak, Lapta and Çatalköy Municipalities, the Chamber of Turkish Cypriot Artisans and Craftsmen and the Cyprus Turkish Hotel Association. The total budget of the project is 788,463 euros and the grant amount is 709,617 euros.

Burcu Nesimoglu, project assistant, said the transfer station would be a processing area to temporarily take the waste which would then be loaded into larger vehicles and transported to the end point for recycling, treatment or disposal with local waste storage.  Burcu Nesimoglu stated that the efficiency of the solid waste collection services of the project will be increased and the route optimization will be carried out on waste collection, which will give the citizens of the area a more environmentally friendly, aesthetic and healthier solid waste collection service and environmental conditions.

Renaud Henoumont said that the European Union has been working for 10 years to support the Turkish Cypriot community and said they are pleased to cooperate with the local authorities. Henoumont emphasized that the most important solid waste management issue has a separate designation in the island countries and emphasized that the 3-year project, which is an investment of 800,000 euros, is aimed at raising the productivity and quality of waste collection services in the region. The project will raise public prosperity and Henoumont said he believed that the completion of the project would lead to significant progress in solid waste management and reduction of solid waste in society.

Girne Mayor Nidai Güngördü recalled that the project to be carried out by the Municipality of Girne in cooperation with Lapta, Çatalköy and Alsancak Municipalities was in the period of temporary government under Sibel Siber’s Prime Ministry and that the south of Girne West Circumference Road was allocated for the project. Nidai Güngördü stated that the station will be run by Girne Municipality because of its location, but other municipalities are stakeholders in the project. Stating that there are serious problems to be solved in waste management in the country, Güngördü expressed his belief that the 4 municipalities will make significant improvements in the problem on the north shore.

Güngördü stated that it is a pity that the country cannot classify waste and that recycling is limited, and the amount of solid waste should be reduced by recycling.

Güngördü pointed out that awareness needs to be established in order for the waste to be recycled and to be able to fulfill the recycling dream. In this regard, Güngördü noted that the Ministry of National Education and Culture, the Ministry of Tourism and Environment, municipalities and all related sectors need to cooperate in order to provide serious education starting from the primary schools. Recalling that many countries recycled solid wastes and achieved both solid waste reduction and financial gain, Güngördü thanked the European Union and 4 municipalities for financing the project.