Intensive efforts being made to keep country clean

Fourteen out of the 16 wheelie bins which had been placed at Kalanka Bay, in the limits of Delimara, were stolen in the past days, the Resources Ministry said.

In a statement, it appealed to the public to keep the country clean and not to vandalise or steal rubbish containers.

It said that more than 10,0000 tonnes of waste were collected since January from roads and other public areas where illegally disposed rubbish had gathered.

IThe ministry said that the Public Cleansing Department had also removed weeds from over 900 kilometres of roads, 2,000 kilometres of roads were being washed monthly with mechanical sweepers and 6,000 tonnes of algae were collected from beaches just before summer.

The ministry said that around 200 posters were being removed from the roads each month and 600 tonnes of waste, mainly tanks and metal goods, had been collected from the countryside.

The department, the ministry said, had increased the frequency of road cleaning in tourist areas and bays in the past months and promenades in tourism zones were being washed regularly.

Particular attention was also being given to the roads around Paceville where litter was being picked and containers emptied continuously at all times of the day. The roads were being washed weekly.

Following the introduction of a new bay cleaning system, sand was being sifted weekly to remove the waste that would have gathered.

Metal tanks which were used as rubbish bins were replaced with 1,000 wheelie bins enabling waste separation. The bins were also being washed regularly. Around 200 charcoal bins were also set up in bays where barbeques were held.

The ministry said that in the past two years, the government investment €1 million in equipment to increase waste collection facilities.

After sweepers and other equipment were bought last year, the government was now investing in more modern machinery which could also be used on beaches.

The government had also opened five civic amenity centres at Mriehel, Hal Far, Luqa, Ghallies and Xewkija. These opened daily including on Sundays and public holidays.

There were also 800 bring in sites all around the country and families could make use of the free bulky waste refuse service which collected bulky waste from homes.

The department this year had already received more than 7,000 telephone calls for the collection of 21,000 items.

The ministry thanked the department’s workers for their efforts and appealed for everyone’s cooperation to keep the country clean.

Reports on areas which needed cleaning can be made on tel: 8007 6608.