The communities of Kataliontas (Analiontas), Mathiatis, and Lythrodontas express strong opposition to the installation of a 180MW solar park in their area, following the recent publication of the related Environmental Impact Assessment Study.

In a statement by the Machairas Cluster Council, which includes these communities, it is noted that letters were sent on April 6, 2021, and September 26, 2023, to the relevant Ministries and Services, expressing their strong opposition to the proposed development, detailing their reasons.

Specifically, they state that the development will cover an area of four square kilometers, within which 264,712 photovoltaic panels will be installed. Most of the area is state land with wild vegetation and pine forest. The large-scale environmental intervention will be destructive, negatively affecting habitats of endemic game, destroying thousands of trees, increasing the area's average temperature due to the solar panels' reflection, and polluting local streams and watercourses with chemicals used to clean the panels. These watercourses flow into the Yialias River, which supplies irrigation and drinking water to the communities of Agia Varvara, Nisou, and Pera Chorio, as well as the municipality of Idalion.

Additionally, the communities argue that the state land intended for use is one of the few remaining land reserves, "after the State's wasteful policy on the matter from 1960 to the present." They state, "This land belonged to our great-grandparents, who gave it to the conquerors to avoid paying taxes, and it came into the State's possession after independence. Today, to combat the depopulation of our areas, a sector in which the State has unfortunately failed, we, the Communities of the region, want it for public purposes, such as building a Regional Gymnasium/High School, Sports Center, or Industrial Area."

Furthermore, they note that interested investors can purchase the necessary land in areas suitable for this purpose, allowing the State not to commit such a large area of state land for over 50 years, preventing it from being used for the benefit of local residents.

Finally, the statement mentions that the Machairas Cluster Council fully adopts the reasons for opposition mentioned above and will fully support the actions of its three Communities in preventing the implementation of this development.