Members of the House Internal Affairs Committee on Monday learned that many of the houses had been built on former lakes that had been shored-up with construction site rubble.
MPs also learned that the houses had likely been built without a geological study being carried out in advance and that the cost of structural repairs was now expected to cost €4 million more than the original €15m estimate to cover the cost of rebuilding the most extensively damaged homes.
The MPs criticised the government for allowing the area to, in 1980, be declared a residential zone with chairman Eleni Mavrou noting that, under the legislation still in place, someone applying to build in the affected area today would still be given the go ahead.
A Paphos District Administration representative told MPs that three or four lakes in the area – incidentally known as ‘Limes’ (Lakes) – were dried out from 1963 onwards while Limassol District Administration engineer Marios Alexandrou said cement had to injected into the land to make it more stable.
He also noted the houses that had become problematic to a lesser or greater degree had been built between 1986 and 2007 and began showing signs of the problems in 2011 and 2012.
The problem was made worse, Alexandrou noted, because there was no way for excess water to drain away.
Speaking on behalf of an initiative group representing residents of the affected area, Elina Zoi, called on the state to rehome all those affected after putting their trust in the Republic of Cyprus and investing their money in a home.