Auntie Nitsa, a very common name in almost every Cypriot household, certainly does not like mess and you really should not mess with her.
She is in her sixties and likes her house to be clean and tidy, she recycles and keep her yard and garden spotless as well. And she is trying extremely hard to persuade all residents of Aglantzia, to do the same.
Auntie Nitsa leads the 2015 cleaning campaign of the Municipality of Aglantzia, in the Nicosia district. The Municipality has decided to start a very intense campaign to clean the town and wants to get involved all the residents.
As Mayor Costas Kortas said during a press conference, “I am really disappointed and fed up with the situation because three times a year we organize campaigns to clean open plots, remove huge amounts of trash from parks and other areas and the very next day these places are filled up with garbage”. Cortas told the press that recently the Municipality workers cleaned a lot of areas ahead of Easter and the next few days he received many phone calls in his office from residents who complained about garbage and areas that became landfills.
“We sat down with the Town Hall councillors and decided that it is time we took action and we want each and every one who lives in Aglantzia to get involved, to feel that our town is their house and if they keep their house clean and tidy they should do the same with the town”, he said.
The Mayor wishes to raise as much awareness as possible about these issues and for this reason he seeks the cooperation of the Environmental Commissioner and the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute with whom the Municipality will co-organize various events and activities.
The Mayor gives very much importance to raising awareness among the students of the six schools that operate in Aglantzia and for this reason he asked their opinions and suggestions during the meeting of the Children`s Council that convenes twice a year and in which students from the six schools participate.
“I am quite happy and very satisfied because students are very much interested in these issues, they have brilliant ideas and I feel that they can act as our ambassadors”, the Mayor said.
The Children`s Council convened last week and the students had the opportunity to meet with Aunty Nitsa who will also be present during the Carnival Parade of Aglantzia to take place Sunday.
The Mayor said that the whole operation is not going to be easy and people need to change their mentality and start caring about their town because after all, keeping the town clean will improve their quality of life.
There are over a hundred empty plots of land in Aglantzia and the cleaning campaigns that the Municipality runs three times a year cost around 80,000-90,000 euro. “We need to get the residents involved because we cannot afford spending all this money to clean these plots and realizing the very next day that the people do not want to keep them clean”, Cortas said.
Replying to a question about imposing fines for those who litter, the Mayor said that although the law provides for fines, so far none has been imposed because residents need to cooperate and evidence is needed and people avoid doing so.
Town Clerk Charis Tsangarides said that collective conscience is needed and the sense of coming together for the common good.
According to Tsangarides, for the past two-three years the Municipality is running the platform “Aglantzia is us” trying to get all residents involved and initiate a public dialogue.
“Our motto is `let`s do it Aglantzia`, we want to improve our quality of life, to make Aglantzia greener, to get people to recycle more and reduce the waste they produce”, he noted. The Municipality is hoping that within 2015 the program `”pay as you throw” will start its operation in Aglantzia so that each household pays according to the waste it produces.
During the campaign the Municipality will issue special booklets, Aunty Nitsa will be the leading lady in plays that will be shown in schools and elsewhere and other events will be organized with the participation of residents.
Aglantzia Municipality has also taken action for dog litter and has placed special bins in thirteen spots for people to throw their pets` waste. But according to Tsangarides, the response has not been the expected.
Environmental Commissioner Ioanna Panayiotou has praised the Municipality for its actions adding that her office will support all initiatives and will provide assistance if needed. Aglantzia and the Commissioner are planning to organize a huge event this coming June to celebrate Environment Day.
Aravella Zachariou of the Cyprus Pedagogical Institute said that the Institute will provide its know-how and expertise in environmental issues and waste management adding that it is important to get people involved from a very young age.