Shielding sensitive points in the four rivers that run through the greater Limassol area rivers with stone-filled wire boxes, is seen by the Water Development Department is seen as an optimum way to cope with flooding phenomena. As the District Engineer of the Department, Iliana Tofa, explained to "Entrepreneurial Limassol", this practice, which is widespread abroad, has first been implemented in the Limassol district because it has four main rivers that are included in the Flood Risk Management Plan and it was imperative to carry out shielding and flow arrangement works in them.
According to the District Engineer, stone-filled wire boxes have been placed in Garyllis during the expansion of the linear park and its connection to the sea along Dimokratias, Alexandrias and Pallados streets, as well as in places where there were floods in the bed of the Vathkias river (where even cars were swept away in the past), instead of concrete linings. Iliana Tofa further explained that these are meshes which are filled with cobblestones of a certain diameter that are placed in an arrangement, comparable to structures that used to be built in villages, with the difference that the cobblestones are now on the mesh so that the water does not carry them away.
Stone-filled wire boxes play a dual role. On the one hand, they protect adjacent properties (mainly in the city center) that have been built on the banks since ancient times, and, on the other, they allow for a more controlled flow, as the water passes through the stones and its speed is reduced. Studies are being prepared, to determine whether such will be placed only on the banks or on the floor of the bed, or whether they will also be erected to change the speed of the water flow, based on the principles that govern the sciences of hydrology and hydraulics.
"In recent years, such have been installed in various parts of the greater Limassol, the results are very positive and there is enthusiasm for them in the Department, to the point that in the first years, when it rained, the staff rushed to the beds to observe them. Now, the inspection of projects during flood events, whenever they occur, is imperative, to record the behavior of the flow and identify any improvements that are needed," Ms. Tofa told us.
Stone-filled wire boxes were also "recruited" at specific points in the Amathos river, such as the Municipal stadium which had previously been affected by floods and had to be protected. In conclusion, Iliana Tofa clarified that this practice is not less costly because more man-hours are needed and the materials are not cheap, but it is an optimal solution in terms of technical characteristics and also a green one, since it resembles the flow through the cobbles of the bed river.
