A fierce debate is unfolding in the picturesque village of Mikro Papigo in northwestern Greece, where local residents have filed a petition with the Council of State (Greece’s highest administrative court) to halt the construction of a sewage treatment plant. They argue that the facility would irreversibly damage the natural landscape and cultural heritage of the historic settlement.
The project, funded by the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility and managed by the Region of Epirus, is set to be built within the bounds of the traditional village, just a few meters from the nearest homes. “Zagori is listed by UNESCO as a cultural landscape and has long been recognized as a site of exceptional natural beauty and historical significance. Despite this, the regional government is pushing ahead with the construction of an industrial facility inside the village, which would bring noise, visual pollution, odors, and disruption to the land and nearby streams,” say members of the local citizens’ group SAVE PAPIGO, which filed the legal challenge.
According to residents, the project is located within the Northern Pindos National Park, an area characterized by stone-built homes from the 18th century and narrow cobblestone alleyways where vehicles are not permitted. These features are of recognized cultural value and draw thousands of visitors each year from Greece and abroad.
What the Citizens Propose
The citizens’ movement has described the planned facility as a “destructive and scandalously expensive project that blatantly disregards the area’s history and cultural identity.” While they acknowledge the need for a wastewater management solution, they claim the community was blindsided: the project was never subjected to public consultation, and locals only became aware of it through delayed local news reports.
According to SAVE PAPIGO, the project carries a price tag of €1.1 million and threatens to destroy the village’s historic cobbled pathways, stopping just 25 meters from residential homes and guesthouses. They propose a more cost-effective and less invasive solution: connecting Mikro Papigo to an existing sewage facility in nearby Megalo Papigo, just two kilometers away. They estimate this alternative would cost only a third as much and would not harm the environment.
Financial and Environmental Concerns
Residents also highlight the financial burden the plant would place on the small community. They estimate over €25,000 per year will be needed for operating costs and for repairing potential damage to the cobbled infrastructure and to the surrounding Pindos/Natura 2000 ecosystem. According to them, this cost would fall on the shoulders of just a few local business owners (three guesthouse operators) and the village’s small permanent population.
The Region of Epirus Responds
In response, the Region of Epirus has defended the project. During a session of the Regional Council, Governor Alexandros Kachrimanis dismissed the residents’ objections, calling them irresponsible — particularly because, he claimed, most of the objectors are not permanent residents of the village. He emphasized that the project is environmentally sound and legally approved, citing compliance with all necessary environmental studies and approvals from archaeological authorities.
A Broader Issue
The case is scheduled to be heard by the Council of State on Wednesday, May 7. Residents argue that their fight is not just about Mikro Papigo or the broader Zagori region — it is about the right of local communities to participate meaningfully and transparently in planning infrastructure and development projects that affect their environment, heritage, and daily lives.
