After the devastating floods in Rhodes, Greece, of 22 November the Greek authorities and residents of Rhodes have been discussing the causes and reasons behind the disaster.
The floods killed 3 people and left a wave of destruction in their wake, and the holiday island is still reeling from the consequences and the millions of Euros of damage.
An urgent preliminary investigation into the causes that led to the death of three people and the damage caused to the island was ordered by the public prosecutor. In the Greek parliament, accusations were made about the building of developments on riverbeds and flood plains. It was also questioned why flood outlets – drainage canals and culverts – weren’t cleared and were blocked with debris and trash.
But in a slightly bizarre and rather desperate defence, Greece’s Interior Minister, Yiannis Michelakis, said that environmentalists were to blame for the floods. Apparently environmental groups in Rhodes opposed the cutting down of reeds in riverbeds
According to Ekathimerini, he said in parliament on Friday 29 November:
“I have to tell you that whenever local authorities tried to cut down the reeds, they faced problems from environmental organizations because they believe doing so creates an ecological problem. So when there is heavy rainfall, earth, rubble and reeds block the outlets for water and cause this destruction.”
Map – Floods in Rhodes, Greece
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