Aravissos' Natural Springs

ΣΤαγώνες της Νέλλης Ψαρρού / WAteRdrops by Nelly Psarrou

Ένα ντοκιμαντέρ για τις περιπέτειες του νερού στην Ελλάδα

Ο ΠΟΛΕΜΟΣ ΤΟΥ ΑΥΡΙΟ, ΣΗΜΕΡΑ θα μπορούσε να είναι ο τίτλος αυτού του ντοκιμαντέρ. Ταξιδεύοντας σε πέντε περιοχές της Ελλάδας (Θεσσαλονίκη, Αποπηγάδι Χανίων, ανατολική Χαλκιδική, Ασωπό και Βόλο) θα δούμε ότι ο πόλεμος του νερού δεν είναι ένα πιθανό σενάριο από το μακρινό μέλλον, αλλά μια πραγματικότητα που βιώνουν συμπολίτες μας εδώ και χρόνια και σήμερα χτυπά τις πόρτες όλων μας.

The title of this documentary could be TOMORROW'S WAR, TODAY. We have five destinations in Greece: Thessaloniki, Apopigadi, Eastern Chalkidiki, Asopos river and Volos. The war on water is not a future probability, but it's a reality familiar to some of our fellow citizens for many years now.

• Volos: 20 years of struggle against the appropriation of natural springs on Mount Pelion in order to be used for Volos' industrial area needs. People are now opposing the decision of Volos' Municipal Company of Water and Sewage to get Pelion's fresh water chlorinated, while it is distributed to the city through asbestos cement water pipes.
• Asopos: Industrial activities have contaminated Asopos river and the aquifier with hexavalent chromium, which is responsible for the high level of deaths caused by cancer in the agricultural area of Asopos basin. Epidemiological evidence show an increase of cancer deaths from 6% in 1988 to 36% in 2004.
• Thessaloniki: The ongoing privatization of Thessaloniki Water and Sewage Company -- the role of water multinational Suez and local contractor Aktor. The goverment is now trying to block a referendum on the privatization, promoted by both grassroot movements and the area's municipalities.
• Apopigadi: The wind farm on top of Apopigadi mountain in Crete is not an environment-friendly investment, but a threat to local water resources and wild animals which was imposed to local people with violent police action. The investor in this case is the well-known French multinational EDF.
• Skouries: The Chalkidiki goldmines that now belong to a Canadian multinational company are responsible for the contamination of local water resources and reserves. Local people opposing the investment are now prosecuted for terrorism.