Major cleanup operation in the Kifissos riverbed

The accumulation of transported materials, waste and debris, as well as the presence of stagnant water, complicate the work of the teams mobilised by the Attica Region in the underground bed of the Kifissos.

Work is currently underway to clean the underground part of the Kifissos riverbed in Athens, for the first time in at least 20 years.

The work is being carried out on behalf of the Attica region under extremely difficult conditions. Ventilation and lighting are inadequate. In some areas, work had to be stopped due to standing water up to 80 cm deep.

In addition, the accumulation of transport materials, garbage and debris along the 8.6 km long section of the underground riverbed presents numerous challenges.

Much damage has also been identified, the repair of which seems to be an almost insurmountable task, not least because of a closed pipeline along the riverbed. The regional authority is expected to hold a meeting next week to look at options, assess the risks and initiate repairs if necessary.

A year ago, a group of speleologists explored the underground of Kifissos. The photos and descriptions of the situation showed that immediate intervention was necessary to ensure the cleaning and stability of the closed channel under Kifissou Street, where thousands of cars travel every day. The Attica region first hired experts and then declared the underground section “a state of special mobilization of civil defense.”

To this end, on August 1, the Attica Region signed a contract worth 1.24 million euros with a technical company (FRATEK SA) for the cleaning of the closed section within three months. The contract includes the removal of garbage and vegetation from the entire closed section so that they do not obstruct the flow of water and do not make it difficult to identify damage sites.

According to a statement from the Attica region on Wednesday, the situation the crews found themselves in was tragic.

“The cleaning is being carried out in extremely difficult conditions due to the lack of adequate ventilation, the lack of lighting, which requires the use of generators and floodlights, the use of special personal protective equipment due to the large number of insects and the muddy ground, the use of tracked machines to access the inside of the pipeline and the use of hydraulic hammers to break up large pieces of concrete that have fallen from the ceiling and side walls,” the statement said, adding, however, that the main problem is the presence of water at a considerable height in the closed part of the pipeline.