Smoldering ‘bomb’ sets large swathe of land on fire with rubble

“Vrachnas” is a summery, vulgar plot for Attica.

Cleaning and certification by a professional engineer can cost from €150 to €400. In larger properties, the cost can reach up to €5,000.

“Both the state and the city can impose two different fines”

Isidoros Mazis, mayor of Paiana, spoke to MEGA about the nausea issue.

“The plot you showed is in a fairly good condition compared to the others. But it contains asbestos, so another process has to be done to remove the asbestos. The written procedure states it has to be ‘glass’. It has been extended till June 30, but there are two other platforms for plots that are outside the plan and adjacent to forest areas,” he initially said.

“In Paiana we have about 4,000 unused plots of land that should be cleaned every year. But most people don’t clean them. After the implementation of KYA this year, there was a lot of mobilization and many people participated. Some plots are surrounded by grass, trees and garbage, which is very dangerous. Anyone who does not clean the plot will be fined 1,000 euros by the state. The city government will find out who has not cleaned it through the records of cleaning work, the Civil Protection Department, and of course through neighbors who can report you. I believe that citizens will cooperate, we don’t have many people in the city to do inspections”, continued Mr. Madis.

Regarding fines, he stressed that “the municipalities levy fines, the state and the municipalities are two different things. If the municipality can clean up a piece of land that the owner is not interested in, the fine for the municipality is €0.50 per square meter. The state fine ranges from €1,000 to €50,000, and under the new Criminal Code he will also be sentenced to 2 years in prison. We have started the cleaning process and inspections in collaboration with other municipalities and associations that carry out cleaning work. There are still some fields that are not cultivated and this part is a big problem. The owner has to go and clean it. We have vast areas of land, we are not like Moschato.”

The implementation of the new fire regulations is mandatory

For owners whose properties are located on or near wooded land, the “fire” has been ignited and they are obligated to enforce the new fire regulations and, secondly, clean and maintain the undeveloped lots they own within the urban fabric.

These owners are caught in a double bind, and the costs they must bear are in many cases enormous.