Xghajra's stand on sewage plant

Roderick Abela (Smells With Bells, October 26), does not have the right to express his views about my involvement and my council's stand on the issue of the sewage recycling plant without first having verified our position.

Had Mr Abela checked with me and my fellow councillors, he would have found that our style of dealing with such matters is not the way he mischievously described me and my council.

The problem of sewage discharge and outflow etc. has been with the Xghajra locality and a detriment to the residents and neighbouring localities for many years. The recycling plant, whether sited towards the Ricasoli side or the Marsascala side of Xghajra, will still be in the vicinity of the Xghajra coast and it will remain a reality that the limits of Kalkara, Xghajra, Zabbar and Marsascala will have to face unless the government decides to relocate it on someone else's doorstep.

My council, similar to neighbouring councils, has been speaking to the government regarding what effect the SmartCity project may have on our locality. In Xghajra's case, we went further and requested that we should be consulted in order that we can perhaps safeguard our locality from the negative effects that such a large project may have and in the process press for the positive aspects of the project.

In the course of these discussions, the council had to wait until the government came out with definite plans on the nature and extent of SmartCity. We presented our list of priorities and views about what we expect the government to include in the project.

The government side showed concern and promised to consider our request and present us with a package of measures for Xghajra. This package has still not been officially finalised by them as we are told that they have their own costings to consider. Once we are informed of the contents, we will not fail to inform our residents of the details.

Later came the issue of the proposed shifting of the site of the sewage plant. Of course, we disagree that such a plant be built within our locality. Which locality welcomes such plants? But a plant on any part of the coast in the area would affect Xghajra, as already mentioned. However, we made it a point that if a plant is going to be imposed on us, we want to be consulted. We made submissions as to what these consultations should include, such as access to and from the site, the transport of sludge, the reuse and class of the water produced by the plant, the environmental effect including noise, odours etc, the redirection of the sewage from the present outflow to the selected site, the effect on nearby residents etc. Is this a sign of a weak council, as Mr Abela attempted to imply?

The council will remain serious and resolute in our discussions not only to protect the Xghajra residents but also those of peripheral localities. We want to be consulted and involved, to be given the opportunity to be heard and have our recommendations accepted.

We do not want the plant. But it is not up to us to suggest that it be left on someone else's doorstep. The present sewage outflow, in Wied Ghammieq, borders residents of other localities, and perhaps Mr Abela forgets this.

Finally, had Mr Abela known the type of person that I am and what I stand for, he would have known that I have been writing regularly and lecturing for some 10 years on the 10 million cubic metres of raw sewage being dumped in the sea each year off and along the Xghajra coast and the adverse effect this has had on the residents and localities all the way from Kalkara to Marsascala. I do not recall Mr Abela, or any other concerned person or entity, writing to support my views and/or my council's position.

We may be small in size but I assure Mr Abela that, just as we have stood up in the past and achieved a reasonable level of consultation with whomever it was necessary to do so, both I and my council will strive on to safeguard the interests of our residents and locality irrespective of the size of the other party, ever with the aim of raising the quality of living of our residents.