The Superintendence of Cultural Heritage has expressed concern over a planned watercourse cutting across Burmarrad valley - a flood plain which was once an ancient harbour - which it says will disturb an archaeologically sensitive area.
The Ministry for Resources and Infrastructure had submitted an application to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority in December, 2004, stating that it intends to restore a storm water channel in the flood plain in a bid to re-create an old storm water catchment.
Though the application speaks of a "restoration", plans seen by The Times indicate that a new channel will be dug through the valley and hardly any part of the old channel will actually be used.
The sketches show that a long stretch of the planned channel leading to Salini will be dug parallel to the old water channel - created by the British in the late 1800s - which has now been taken over by farmers.
"The route of the channel as proposed does not appear to follow these water management features and it is unclear which, if any, of these older water management features are to be reused or restored," Acting Superintendent of Cultural Heritage Nathaniel Cutajar said when contacted by The Times.
"An inspection of the area has confirmed the presence of earlier water management features. Many of these features are now filled with soil and used as fields," Mr Cutajar said.
The Superintendence has told Mepa that there are a number of issues that need to be considered in an environment impact assessment (EIA) from the cultural heritage point of view.
"There are landscaping issues, including the aesthetic impact and existing historical features, and the potential of finding archaeological remains under the existing flood plain," Mr Cutajar said.
"The Superintendence understands that an EIA will soon be underway. The results of this study will be reviewed very closely by the Superintendence as soon as it is completed," he added.
Mr Cutajar said that to date, the Superintendence has not been informed by Mepa of developments regarding this application.
Archaeological evidence has confirmed that a Roman harbour inside the valley has been covered by silt over the years. According to archaeologist Timmy Gambin, the settlements of San Pawl Milqi and catacombs in the area are proof of this.
"Core samples taken from the silt in the valley as well as old documents revealed that Burmarrad was used as a port until the Middle Ages," Dr Gambin said. A Resources and Infrastructure Ministry spokesman confirmed yesterday that a company had been commissioned to carry out an EIA but added that works in the part closer to Salina, which he said is covered by a permit granted by Mepa last year, would start "very soon".
When asked if the ministry was aware of the existence of an old water channel, the spokesman said the route of the new channel had been identified after consultation with the Agriculture Department and Mepa.
"The old channel is now used as fields, which is why the watercourse will be slightly different from the original. We do not want to disturb agriculture.
"We have taken video footage of the flood plain in winter and believe that the planned course is the best, even it takes a different route from the original channel."
The spokesman said that the Resources Ministry would consult the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage throughout the works "as happened when archaeological remains were unearthed in Marsa".
The Superintendence and the Resources Ministry crossed swords in April last year after excavation works by the ministry near Jetties Wharf and the Galizia canal in Marsa unearthed massive limestone blocks dating back to Roman times.
In May, 2005, the ministry's maritime and storm water section was ordered to stop dredging works at Salina's Sokkors the channel which encircles the entire perimeter of the late 16th century salt pans because the works had started before a permit was granted by Mepa.
The superintendence had claimed that the seabed in the inner part of the bay had been dredged to allow a barge to get closer to the Sokkors.
When asked why the ministry had carried out works before being granted permits by Mepa in an interview with the Times in July, 2005, Resources and Infrastructure Minister Ninu Zammit said: "I have no problem waiting for a study to come to an end. However, you can carry out a study in four days or stretch it to six months. I really think that permits need to be issued as soon as possible if we want to get things done in this country.
"In Salina, for example, we were not building skyscrapers. We were simply clearing a watercourse from silt that had been accumulating for the past 40 years. Farmers had even started planting crops on what had been a natural watercourse, so rainwater had nowhere to go. It caused flooding in fields and roads," Mr Zammit said.
Replying to a parliamentary question yesterday, Mr Zammit said the project would cost Lm900,000 and would be completed within a year of the start of works, subject to Mepa permits and archaeological finds.