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Report
Greeks say flood prevention plans ‘too little too late’
CGTN Europe
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17/11/2024
New flood prevention projects have been launched in Greece as the rainy season approaches.
But many accuse Athens of doing too little too late.
CGTN’s Evangelos Sipsas reports: https://tinyurl.com/yhn9v7vy
#Greece #Athens #flood #weather
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News
Transcript
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00:00
The mud lines are still visible at Thelvoris Bogris' house in Pharsala, a town in the Thessaly region.
00:07
A silent marker of last year's flood and the destruction it left in its wake.
00:13
Dried mud and cracks on the walls are painful reminders of what happened that day.
00:18
It was pure chaos. Shouts. People searching desperately.
00:26
The bridge blocked by high water. No way through.
00:30
Crowds huddled in shops, waiting for hours. Calls unanswered.
00:35
Every snippet of conversation more chilling than the last.
00:40
The devastation was overwhelming.
00:43
It's one thing for me to tell you and another to experience it.
00:49
In the wake of last year's tragedy where 16 people lost their lives and thousands of homes destroyed,
00:57
anti-flooding projects in the Thessaly region were rolled out, promising safety and stability.
01:04
The Greek government has invested 3.5 billion dollars in regional flood protection projects,
01:10
which it says will be able to cope with all forms of extreme weather events.
01:17
A master plan is underway to protect citizens from disasters like Daniel and Yiannos.
01:23
While major projects like embankment expansions, riverbed clearing, channel widening and mountain water control will take time.
01:32
They comprehensively address Thessaly's flood risks.
01:35
Some areas that were destroyed may even require relocation.
01:39
This approach depends on public cooperation and consensus.
01:43
Not everybody is on board with the plan.
01:46
With many locals seeing this as a positive step, that has been long overdue.
01:53
And that the projects do not really focus on the real flood risks.
01:58
Others are concerned that the projects are taking too long or they're simply being rushed.
02:07
I don't feel secure. How can I sleep calmly when I know that now projects have been done
02:12
and the ones under construction are not even halfway completed?
02:16
We hear on TV that money is being given and projects are being completed.
02:20
Where are they? The rainy season is still ahead of us.
02:23
Where is my protection? Tell me.
02:28
Last year's floods were the worst the country has ever seen,
02:32
wiping out thousands of hectares of farmland and destroying countless homes.
02:37
Now, with the rainy season approaching, people in the Thessaly region are on the edge,
02:42
still haunted by the chaos and devastation of last year.
02:46
Evangelos Tsipsas for CGTN, Athens.
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