Sewage still flowing into the sea in Gozo, AD says
Raw sewage is still spouting into the sea at Wied il-Mielaħ, in Għarb plaguing the scenic valley despite the construction of a municipal wastewater treatment plant, Alternattiva Demokratika said yesterday.
AD chairman Arnold Cassola said it was understood that the Water Services Corporation was supposed to build a pumping station in the valley to transfer sewage from Għarb, San Lawrenz, Sta Luċija and Għammar to the sewage treatment plant at Ras il-Ħobż.
The flow of raw sewage was violating the Urban Wastewater Directive, AD's spokesman for Gozo, Victor Galea said, adding that he had asked the European Commission to intervene. The situation was not only endangering the biodiversity of the area but also the residents' health. Moreover, various reports had been sent to the Malta Environment and Planning Authority on the matter but no reply was forthcoming, AD said.
AD said the government should build a small sewage treatment plant to avoid pumping sewage to Ras il-Ħobż and provide second class water for irrigation. Such a project would contribute to cutting down on groundwater extraction, save on the capital costs of laying sewage mains and resurfacing of roads and on energy costs in pumping the sewage, Mr Galea said.
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James McIntosh
Jun 30th 2011, 12:06
If the elected members got off their well upholstered seats and got around to administering Malta and Gozo, in accordance with the Laws of Malta and Europe, then there would be no need for fines and penalties.
Those departmental Ministers and CEO's should be held culpable for any wrongdoing by their respective areas of responsibility. Any fines imposed should be paid personnally by them and not the poor un-represented public.
I bet there would be a sharp increase in focus on their respective duties.
These elected members get quite enough recompense for their trouble, they should do the job in a fair and just manner and leave cronyism at the entrance of Parliament when they step up to do their Parliamentary Duty.
I have a dream, a dream of..............salaried Members actually doing the job they are so handsomely rewarded for in the name of the people. A futile dream, I fear.
Joseph W. Galea
Nov 27th 2008, 05:28
Considering that Malta's drinking water, in the main, is recycled sea water, any sewage in the main supply is bound to have an unhealthy effect on the resultant drinking water.
But the government should be given a chance to correct the situation, if nothing is done within a very short time, then by all means, the Eu body should be informed of the situation.
lgalea
Nov 26th 2008, 13:44
Tim Ripard
We also got the imposition of VAT, customs duties and levies that now go to the eu while we pay the collectors, loss of earnings on our foreign reserves, loss of the Italian protocol, loss of our sovereignty, our government has less power than a local council to decide things which affect us, the destruction of our industries, the invasion by illegal immigrants, freedom of movement for eu criminals to move without any hindrance....
Clemens Hasengschwandtner
Nov 26th 2008, 13:27
It seems that there are a lot of people in this country who rather swim in shit than forcing the government to do something about it.
I really don't know what's wrong here on this island. I meet a lot of very professional and competent people on a daily basis - they are Maltese - they are competent, hard working, professional and at the cutting edge of their time.
On the other hand there is the government. They are slow, unorganized, incompetent, inefficient and really keep the rest of us back. We pay taxes like everybody else, sometimes life in Malta is even more expensive than anywhere else ( cars, energy etc. ) and so wouldn't if be just fair that we also life like everybody else.
Malta is such a small island - how difficult can it really be to organize good and clean roads, a working infrastructure and stream lined and efficient working conditions for the business community.
Just joining the European Community is just not good enough - being European is not just a membership but a commitment which can be seen on the roads and everywhere.
wally vella-zarb
Nov 26th 2008, 12:46
Andrew Gatt, you can't be serious!
Presumably, you will also consider the passing of a Whistleblower Act as a waste of time!
We need more people like AD and not fewer. The only rational way in which this can be avoided is for Government units to perform as true Europeans and not by just paying lip service. We can really become the jewel in the European crown if we set our minds to it - if we could only learn that sweeping dust under the carpet does not work, not even in the short term.
Tim Ripard
Nov 26th 2008, 11:58
Of course it's right for AD to point out a failing to the EU commission. There should be no question about that.
On the other hand we should also acknowledge what a good thing it is to be citizens of the EU - we can demand and obtain higher living standards - thanks largely to the PN (whilst AD did their bit) in the first place. They put national interests before party interests when they campaigned for EU membership, and thank heaven they did.
Dr Paul Sant Cassia
Nov 26th 2008, 10:48
Mr Gatt:
I hold no brief for AD and have no vote in Malta but I cannot understand your vitriolic atttack on AD just because it is pointing out that sewage is flowing into the sea and that they have a right to report this to the competent authorities within the EU. You use the metaphor of school but actually your comments demean you. This is the rights of citizenship and membership of national and transnational bodies. To use your metaphor, it is the "teacher" who isn't doing his job, i.e. the government. You seem to believe in the code of "omerta". It is the Government that is responsible and contracted to abide by EU regulations, and it is us as citizens that suffer if they do not. You seem more concerned with attacking AD than with the fact that raw sewage is flowing into the sea. You should get your evaluation of priorities right and stop reproducing this pathetic partisan sniping.
David Wain
Nov 26th 2008, 10:44
Andrew Gatt, i have not verified whether or not this is true. But if it is, shame on the authorities for endangering our health and our environment, not Alternattiva for increasing public conciousness on the issue and trying to push an apparently unresponsive government into rectifying the problem.
You may short-sightedly not care about the plight of some remote spot in Gozo, however the safeguarding of our environment is a concern which supersedes whether or not a fine should be imposed.
It is not the first time that the government has had to be coerced by EU institutions into getting things right. I as Maltese citizen, am prepared to foot the fines through my taxes if it has the effect of prompting immediate action on such issues,.
Joseph Caruana
Nov 26th 2008, 10:34
How funny Andrew Gatt!! All this is happening because of broken promises by the PN government regarding sewage treatment and loss of funds BECAUSE of PN Government incompetence. The EU has its auditors etc. and it already knows of the shoddy work of this government.
Yes the EU should be aware of all this because we are European citizens too...and EU money is OUR money too. And for Andrew Gatt to still think that we should cover up and hide and nobody will get to know is incredibly naive and funny! May the EU intervene staight away and forcefully to make this government respect us and clean up the whole mess in ECO GOZO!!!
Thak you AD...at least there is a European party for us modern people... the PN can keep the conservatives 'il-gvern taghna u ejjew nahbu u nostru' people and those with a backward servile mentality for itself... yes there are thousands upon thousands of such people but that's life!
Andrew Gatt
Nov 26th 2008, 09:59
Thank you VERY much, Alternattiva. Running off to the EU again like snivelling classroom sneaks, just to get some press coverage and pictures of your half dozen supporters. What do you care about fines and loss of funding? Call yourselves Maltese??? SHAME ON THE LOT OF YOU.