Infrastructure renewed
SOME 13.5km of rusty old waterpipes in Bellapais and Ozanköy have now been replaced with new ones and many roads resurfaced with cobblestones as part of a major infrastructure progamme, Girne Municipality has announced.
A spokesman for the municipality told Cyprus Today that residents in both communities are now receiving “healthy water”.
Girne Mayor Nidai Güngördü said that 11km of pipes had been replaced in Ozanköy and 2.5km in Bellapais following completion of work that also included improved drainage and burying many overhead electricity and telephone cables underground.
News of the four-phase project, which is part-funded by Turkey, was reported by this newspaper in September last year.
Although Turkey has agreed to pay 850,000TL towards the cost of the scheme, it will probably cost “much more,” with Girne Municipality paying the remainder.
In Bellapais, the work included 300m of the main road to the abbey which is lined with shops, hotels, businesses and restaurants.
The village was made famous by the book Bitter Lemons of Cyprus by Lawrence Durrell, brother of the equally-famous Gerald Durrell who wrote My Family And Other Animals.
“If Girne is a jewel in the tourism crown of the TRNC, another jewel is Bellapais which is known for its beautiful abbey, scenery and natural beauty,” said Mr Güngördü.
“The main objective of the project was to create new infrastructure such as new waterpipes and drainage then to put overhead electricity and telephone lines underground. This means there will be no need for more excavation work there for at least 40 years.” Chairman of the Association for the Development and Protection of Bellapais, Niyazi Engin, told Cyprus Today: “We are delighted that waterpipe infrastructure has been completed and cobblestones laid. It has created an authentic atmosphere for the village which is loved by both tourists and locals. Tourists now follow the cobblestones to the abbey and the road which had received no maintenance since 1976 has now been cleaned up.
“The next phase will be to plant flowers along the main abbey road and we understand that this will be done in the spring.”
Ozanköy muhtar Mustafa Uzun also praised Girne Municipality for its work, telling Cyprus Today: “The municipality has carried out its promises. They have changed our 20-year-old rusting waterpipes, cleaned and maintained our cemetery, built pavements at the entrance to the village and laid cobblestones to its centre and on many side streets. This has completely changed the atmosphere of the village and made it authentic and more beautiful. We now ask for the 0.5km-long road between Ozanköy and Bellapais, which is in a bad state, to also have cobblestones as it is a favourite walk of tourists and expats who like to walk from our village to Bellapais.”