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Lekka:- It was wrong to say that the “Navagio” would be prohibited!
- During an official meeting with the Regional Offices Mr Lekka explained his reasons for continual efforts to keep the “shipwreck area” safe for vistors.
- Katerina Mothonaiou’s question about the green zone.
“It was wrongly said that it is forbidden to go to the WRECK” pointed out the president of the Organization for Antiseismic Planning and Protection (OASP), Mr. Efthymios Lekkas, during the meeting of the Regional Council, which was held in Lefkada, yesterday, Sunday 19th March, 2023. He also continued by saying, “the boats can disembark, but with a rotation process… They should not stay in the area for six hours but two hours”.
He added that his concern for hundreds of tourists that visit the area and safety measurements within the area are not kept.
“we cannot have photos all over the internet of tourist literally hanging over the cliffs, this has to stop! Nor should their be hundreds of tourists on the beach wandering around near the cliff face, if one small rock happens to fall from one hundred and ten metres whilst people are in that area it would be a disaster. So, therefore our first and major concern is the strict safety measures to be applied within the zones. Saying that, we would remind you that the zones will be confirmed of their safety every 6 months, or according to seismic activity within the area”. This is to check landslides and other phenomenon in the area.
Secondly, the access towards the beach area by boat, it was wrong to say that there would be absolutely no access to the shipwreck. The shipwreck is not a forbidden area! There is a zone area where boats can pull in and people can swim, however this will be a zone where boats won’t be able to stay six hours at a time, it would be something like two hours.
The Vice-Regional Governor of Zakynthos, Mrs. Katerina Mothonaiou, addressing Professor Mr. Lekkas, asked for clarifications on the green zone (low risk) and the implementation of the measure of controlled traffic in the area of the Shipwreck.
The answer by Mr Lekka was absolute “What I said from the beginning, there will be no action for forbidding someone to approach the shipwreck. Visitors will be able to see the shipwreck and swim in the area and in certain circumstances will be able to stay in the “green zone”, however, there can not be within the green zone five hundred to a thousand people at one time.
Mrs Mothonaiou asked if Mr Lekka’s report was correct in regards to the amount of people that could stay within the “Green Zone”. Whilst Lekka confirmed the report he also stated that the amount of 258 people is the total amount at one time within the “green zone” , which is in compliance with the international safety rules. We did not come up with this number, the amount of people is due to the cubic metres of the area concerned which is rules by international safety rules not just ours.
In regards to closing the area completely, it seems that some have jumped the gun so to speak. As our authorities have stated not only locally but also nationally the “navagio” will remain open but under the same safety restrictions that were in place in 2018. Perhaps the “Green Zone” where people are allowed to stay will be kept to a minimum to ensure that our visitors can still enjoy one of the most beautiful landmarks in the world. Safety ALWAYS comes first, and this is the action our authorities intend to pursue.
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Photos:- Public Domain
Mainn feature photo:- Iakovos Kontaratos
Source Lekka Navagio
