Widened canal 'proves its worth'

The widened watercourse between Qormi and Marsa weathered the storm in its first real test since the end of summer.

A 200-metre rainwater canal between Lion Street, in Qormi, behind the Lowenbrau brewery, and Aldo Moro Road, in Marsa had been cleared and widened by workers at the Resources and Infrastructure Ministry in summer.

The project, which cost Lm1 million (Lm400,000 coming from the European Union's solidarity fund), involved the building of a retaining wall and the laying of a concrete bed along the canal. Electricity cables and pipes were relocated to the side of the watercourse.

The Resources and Infrastructure Ministry said yesterday it had received positive feedback from residents in areas of Qormi and Marsa notorious for flooding.