Waters in Greece are facing some good issues. The pollution especially in the coastal areas are threatening the whole atmosphere, the coastlines and also posing as a problem for the tourism industry. Most of the coastal areas like northern port city of Thessaloniki and Patra and even the beaches of Athens are being polluted by untreated industrial wastes and household wastewater.
In a report issued last year, the U.N. Environment Programme and the European Environment Agency pointed towards the bay of Elefsis which is situated near Athens and houses some 1,000 industrial plants. It is the cities that are facing more of the damage then the countryside.
Athens has already been declared unfit for swimming purposes. Athens beaches are usually filled up by locals only. Natives around the place are also complaining. Stavros Georgiadis regarding the bad condition said,
A few years ago I swam here every day but in the past two summers it is just too dirty so I just play on the beach. I don’t know if it is actually dirtier but it just looks filthier, more stuff floating on the water — I’m not going to swim in there.
Some beaches of Athens and Thessaloniki have seen so much of problems that they have already been declared as dead zones. Athens is also facing problems with its sewage system. The government there is also trying to attract foreign investors which are in turn providing a housing boom. Environmentalists say that even this will add to the pressure on the water resources.
However, the government hasn’t yet taken any action.
Source: Reuters
