Friday, 1st August 2008

Clean sweep? Never ending

A car bonnet, a number of old mattresses and some broken down television sets were among the waste collected by the Cleansing Services Department over the past few days at Fomm ir-Riħ and Marsa.

In Marsa, 12 workers spent two days cleaning up to 30 tonnes of illegally-dumped waste. At Fomm ir-Riħ the waste was removed from around the cliffs of the picturesque site.

Mario Rodgers, the director of the Cleansing Response Programme, explained that dumps on arterial roads are cleared immediately but other areas are the responsibility of local councils.

He said that complaints received by the public are forwarded to the local councils responsible but, if no action is taken after two weeks, the cleansing response team goes on site and clears the dump.

He explained, that keeping the streets clean is everyone's responsibility. Despite the works that were carried out, after just a few days, Coal Wharf in Marsa has already been refilled with dumped plastic and construction waste, he lamented.

Reports of dumped waste can be sent via e-mail to customercare.cleansing@gov.mt or by phone to 8007 6608.

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Article © Allied Newspapers Ltd., printed on Sunday, November 22, 2009. This article is for personal use only, and should not be distributed.

Comments

agrech (on 1/8/08)

Some closed minded individuals think that they may be harming the government when they dump garbage wherever they please. They are harming themselves and all the general public because we get disappointed with dirty places plus them and all of us have to pay for cleaning up their mess.

Please get rid of such mentality. Keep wherever you go clean. When I had an old stove to dispose of, I phoned forgot where and the next day they picked it up and got me rid of it.

A campaign to keep Malta clean will help. Even newspapers and magazines, can include a small ad - "Keep Malta clean" as Jasmine suggested below.

Let's be proud of our country and keep it as clean as possible.

Jasmine Grech (on 1/8/08)

Thanks to the Cleansing Service Department for doing a good job.

However, I find that this is not the solution to keep the "litter bugs" away and in fact, they may take the advantage of it and soon we'll see garbage piling up very quickly.

I feel that a stricter legislation should be considered for illegal dumping of garbage for the locals and tourists alike.

As for foreign visitors, I feel that we can get the good help of having their tour leaders/tour guides in asking them to give us their support to help us keep Malta clean re garbage before a tour is commenced.

I also wish to suggest that a slogan with a mascot e.g. "Help us keep Malta clean" can be highlighted as a reminder/campaign to the general public and also be seen printed on the domestic tour brochures and other printed materials alike as an encouragement.

Malta is a Gem - lets not make it looks like a dump waste centre in the Meds.

Mario Mifsud (on 1/8/08)

Why all the fuss when the public leaves rubbish behind? Take a look at the road leading to Hagar Qim and the fields touching, they were left with building material and other rubbish which will lead to more rubbish. A request to remove the building material from a field resulted only in spreading the heaps on the soil. This was done by the Dept of Public Works.

Marco A. Scotto (on 1/8/08)

I just cannot understand why people go to great lengths to dump rubbish even in the remotest of places when one can do it legally and conveniently in the Bring in Sites. I have used the Mriehel facility on a number of times and it is well accessible, clean and safe and open every day (Monday to Sunday) and on public holidays.

jimmy magro (on 1/8/08)

everyone can join Malta's only recycle group at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Vdistrict_Freecycle/