We could say “we told you so”. So we will. The leading article that occupied this space in the newspaper last Saturday predicted that with rain forecast, we were bound to be reading about the same flooding-related problems that have affected Malta for years. And so it turned out.
The thunderstorm that descended upon us after a balmy and sunny Sunday caused its fair share of mayhem: cars spun on roads that had not seen rain for many weeks, vehicles broke down, and one man was even carried away by a rapids-like gush of water on the streets.
We could claim credit for predicting such an outcome, but it is unfortunate that our crystal ball does not extend its talents to the lottery. Truth is that the only people seemingly caught by surprise by seasonal thunderstorms and other downpours are those in authority whose job it is to do something about it. Trouble is, years pass, the story repeats itself, and nothing gets done.
Malta is not the only country to display ineptness at the first sign of inclement weather. The UK often comes to a standstill when it snows in winter – as it does practically every winter – and in an infamous episode trains had stopped running when leaves fell on the railway lines in autumn, which was hardly the most unexpected development in the season Americans term as the Fall.
Yet in a small country like ours, which rarely suffers anything beyond what by European standards are agreeable weather conditions, it should be even easier to ensure that people and property are relatively safe when it rains. However, the opposite is the case.
One does not have to look too far for the reasons. After years of complaints, our roads are still in a pitiful state. Far too many are riddled with bumps and potholes which are ruthlessly exposed whenever it rains.
They are then badly patched up again at taxpayers’ expense – only for the job to need doing all over again after the next bout of rain. In the meantime vehicles are damaged and motorists are forced to pay to put it right.
Msida and Valley Road are known to be particularly troublesome spots when it rains. They are not the only ones by any means, but they happen to lie in a critical area that commuters must use to be able to get about their daily business. Are we really to accept that nothing can be done to remedy the flooding problem there – which even occurs after a basic shower – or is it about time the authorities embark on a serious exercise to once and for all establish how to deal with the problem?
Aside from the issue of traffic chaos, which is not just inconvenient but a threat to life and limb, is the matter of water conservation. Why is it that at a time when the water table is being leached dry by water bowsers we are not working on an urgent solution to stamp this out and harness rainwater? Even the National Flood Relief Project proposes to channel most of the storm water into the sea through underground tunnels rather than storing it for reuse.
The government has said that extensive works have been undertaken to clean and repair valleys and reservoirs.
But the results of that work were certainly not in evidence on Sunday night as the first of the year’s autumn rainfall once again caused problems. We can talk forever about plans and solutions, but it would be far more beneficial to actually do something about it.