Nearly EUR 12 Million Secured for Water and Infrastructure Projects on Leros

Dodecanese MP Mika Iatridi visited Leros for several days and held meetings on island services, development and almost EUR 12 million in recently approved infrastructure funding.

During her visit she met Leros mayor Timotheos Kottakis, local police commander Antonis Dimoglou, members of the New Democracy local organisation and island residents. She also attended events organised by local associations and bodies.

The discussions addressed residents' daily lives, the island's development prospects and projects intended to improve infrastructure and public services.

EUR 5.96 million for local infrastructure

Particular attention was given to EUR 5,961,270 recently approved by the migration and asylum ministry for the Municipality of Leros. The funding followed systematic cooperation between the municipal authority and the ministry.

It covered improvements to the road network, upgrades to playgrounds, the purchase and installation of systems to produce and distribute drinking water, modern energy-efficient municipal lighting and other needs within the municipality's water service.

New desalination units at Lepida

Following continuing contacts by the mayor, the environment and energy ministry also approved EUR 4.63 million for two new desalination units at Lepida, each contributing to a combined capacity of 2,000 cubic metres a day.

The project also included the pipelines required to carry drinking water to central and northern areas of Leros.

This followed an earlier allocation of about EUR 1 million to address water supply problems.

Water sufficiency across the Dodecanese had also been discussed by Ms Iatridi and environment and energy minister Stavros Papastavrou during a meeting in Athens the previous November.

The intervention was described as particularly important because it would strengthen water security and create stable conditions to meet increased demand, especially during the summer months.

Iatridi: Reliable water is essential

After the visit and the funding approvals, Ms Iatridi said Leros was an island with considerable potential and strong development prospects.

She said close cooperation with local government, community organisations and residents was essential to advancing solutions that answered society's real needs.

The funding secured from the environment and energy ministry and the migration and asylum ministry, on the basis of proposals and interventions by Mr Kottakis, represented a particularly positive development and responded to important local needs, she said.

Ms Iatridi added that adequate, high-quality water was fundamental to residents' daily lives, tourism growth and the island's overall future.

She said work would continue with local government, responsible bodies and ministries to promote projects that support island communities, improve quality of life and create better prospects across the Dodecanese.

Read more from Leros News in English.