I am glad that finally the Maltese authorities have realised how dirty the country is becoming because of tremendous amount of illegal littering and dumping. Fines for illegal littering and dumping will now go up and even undercover wardens will start patrolling the streets.

There will probably also be uniformed wardens who will enforce the new environmental laws. I just hope that these wardens will give a better example to the public than the ones responsible for traffic do. I understand that people who get a fine for not switching on the lights in the tunnel get angry. But how often have I seen wardens' cars in tunnels with their lights switched off?

I also hope that it will not just be the main tourist areas that will be monitored. When you drive across the island you cannot miss illegal dumping sites near the road. An old cupboard, an old refrigerator or just normal black waste bags. Such scenes are seen too often, and they must end.

The authorities should also keep an eye out at industrial estates. A lot of waste is being dumped there illegally. Often people dump their waste on the weekends when companies are closed. Companies spend a lot of money removing that waste.

But that is not the main problem. This arises when a company invites guests, business partners, for a product presentation or maybe to finalise a million-liri deal. How embarrassing is it then to have an illegal dump site just a few metres away from the main entrance of the company? What does one say? "Sorry, but the people in this country don't care much about the environment and about the law."

I think that the fines are still not big enough and that the authorities have to invest more to enforce this law.

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