Dozens of residents of floods-stricken village Farkadona, Central Greece, filed the first lawsuit against all competent authorities including the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection and the Regional government of Thessaly.
The residents complained that “unknown people” deliberately broke the Enipea dam in two places, with the aim of “trapping” the water in the villages in order to save the city of Karditsa.
“I received the authorization from residents of Farkadona, from about 30 residents who will also testify as witnesses, who accuse some people who went and broke the embankment of Enipeas in two places – there are corresponding photos that we will hand over to the judicial authorities,” lawyer Giorgos Bartzokis told ANT1 TV on Tuesday morning.
“It is now being investigated who went to these two areas and who gave the order. The most likely thing is that we are talking about a communication from the local government of the area – which we are also investigating to what extent Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias is involved.” the lawyer added.
Farkadona residents evacuation on Sept 9
🔴 Επιχείρηση 2ης ΕΜΑΚ και ΕΟΔ για τον απεγκλωβισμό δύο ηλικιωμένων γυναικών στη #Φαρκαδόνα.#εοδ #hrt #κακοκαιριαDaniel #πλημμύρες pic.twitter.com/DVLhOIZUe4
— Hellenic Rescue Team (@HellenicRescue) September 9, 2023
Locals complained further that cities such as Karditsa, Trikala and Larissa
were protected, while the villages were left helpless.
Bartzokis confirmed his clients complain adding “that’s what we mean. And it didn’t just happen in this area, unfortunately it also happened at the Gyrtoni dam in Larissa.”
Residents of village Palamas had brought the same claim from the very beginning on September 7, 2023. Speaking to media locals had also claimed that “they weren’t warned in time to evacuate the village, but the said emergency message had arrived 3 hours later, when the whole village and neighboring Metamorfosis were already under water reaching up to 3 meters high.
Palamas
Metamorfosi
“In Farkadona, all the houses have been destroyed, the water was 30 meters deep. A businessman who owned a car repair shop, all his cars, worth millions, were destroyed. The village is not going to be inhabited again in the next, I would say, 1-2 years, the water is too much”, lawyer Bartzokas stressed.
“There are photos of two broken spots. And that’s not all. They continued the crime because here the control process had to be done by Mr. Kikilia, the Civil Protection. They let residents in Falani, Larisa, go to hit the Gyrtoni dam. That is why the National Highway was flooded. There is video footage,” the lawyer concluded.
Farkadona has officially a population of 2,0225 registered residents.