A significant amount of tar was observed on the rocks along Alagadi beach*, Teknecik Power Plant, which lies adjacent to the beach, was blamed for the pollution, Kibris Postasi reported.
President of the Famagusta Walled City Association (MASDER), Serdar Atai, made a post on social media regarding the matter.
Atai also noted that, interestingly, at Alagadi beach, which people have visited for years to sunbathe on the sands, the sea has completely swept away the sand, leaving only rocks and pebbles behind.
Serdar Atai’s post reads:
“Yes, we’ve completed another seasonal litter collection exercise. Within the scope of Citizen-Based Science studies, this data collection and evaluation initiative, voluntarily run by MASDER and AKTI, will have reached its fourth year by early 2025. During this autumn visit, which coincided with the storm period, we experienced a surge of litter, in line with the sea’s turbulence. Most intriguing, the sand at Alagadi beach, where we have been coming for years and people sunbathe on the sands, has been entirely washed away by the sea, leaving us with rocks and pebbles. On the rocks, we found a heavy presence of tar due to the nearby Teknecik Power Plant. Not next week, but the following week, we have a challenging sorting and data transformation exercise ahead of us. There’s no stopping; as we always say, without dedication, there is no data”.
*Alagadi Beach is one of the main nesting sites for sea turtles in Cyprus, particularly for loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta) and green turtles (Chelonia mydas). The beach is part of conservation efforts run by local and international organisations, including the Society for the Protection of Turtles (SPOT) and the Marine Turtle Conservation Project. These groups monitor the nesting process, protect nests, and guide hatchlings to the sea to boost the survival rate of these endangered species. [Ed.]
