Clean Greek Coastline Cost 18.7 Billion Drachmas

Kostas Laliotis, environment and public works minister, announced the completion of a 7-year cleanup program for Greek coastlines that cost some 18.7 billion drachmas.

The minister says the program included the cleaning up of shorelines in 41 of the countries 50-odd prefectures and annual quality checks on swimming waters at 1,862 points throughout the country.

Mr. Laliotis says that last year the regional authorities responsible for the program in 27 prefectures collected 18,908 tons of garbage along 1,025 kilometers of shoreline.

Other works covered by the program included the regeneration of shore and beach zones in 40 Greek town and city areas, and studies for similar projects in the Greater Athens area.

The private sector and the private citizen are also doing their bit to clean up the country’s coastline. Hotel units, in particular, like Eden Beach at Anavyssos, organize beach “parties” with the participation of local public school students and hotel guests. First they hold a short seminar on the environment and then ask students and guests to wear gloves supplied and help clean up the beach property. So far, participation and an open enthusiasm have been extraordinarily good.