Remember what you were doing in the early days of December six years ago? Maybe a bit of early bird Christmas shopping or maybe gearing up for public holidays or dousing your Christmas pudding in brandy in preparation for the upcoming festivities? Whatever it was, the chances were that you were stuck indoors, especially if you live somewhere near my neck of the woods.

Why hasn’t the government pulled out all the stops and done something to solve the problem?- Claire Bonello

And the reason for that enforced confinement would be the very same one which made most of the inhabitants of the Maltese Islands huddle up indoors posting photos online of their cars floating away down water-gorged streets. That’s right – another flash flood caused by a storm. Back then I had written about how a moderately heavy downpour resulted in flooding all along the Gzira front, in Msida, and in several other areas on the island, with pedestrians being stranded as water eddied around them and drivers were held up in the rains. I didn’t need a crystal ball to predict that more of the same would follow in the winter months.

Well, they did and then the following autumn the Prime Minister announced that a solution was in sight as a Lm30 million flood relief project co-funded by the European Union was in the offing. Seeing that the flood risk at Qormi and Burmarrad had been reduced, attention would be focused on Birkirkara, Balzan, Lija and Msida, we were told. Everybody let out a sigh of relief, safe in the knowledge that they wouldn’t be spending hours brandishing a broom and a bucket and waiting for the carpet to dry and lose its damp-dog smell.

I expect that the people of Qormi slept most soundly in their beds, safe in the knowledge that they wouldn’t be kayaking down the road on their sofas as the Prime Minister had specifically indicated that the risk of flood in their area had been greatly reduced. They must have wondered how exactly it was reduced in 2010 when an August downpour turned the town into a local Niagara Falls accesorised with coffins floating away on the storm waters.

They must have continued looking for evidence of the amazingly hard-to-detect flood relief project this week when the storm turned Malta into the Lake District, valleys were flooded, cars and their passengers were carried away in the deluge with the country coming to a standstill.

Yes, I know that sudden downpours are not the government’s fault. I’m also aware of the fact that building up our valleys was a terrible idea and that it would block the dispersal of rainwater. It’s also a given that an effective flood water relief project will take time and money to complete, and even then it does not guarantee an entirely flood-free rainy season. Also, squeezing money out of the EU at this point in time may prove to be difficult. Navigating the planning permit maze is a long and costly process.

But these obstacles towards some form of flood relief have been around for ages, so why hasn’t the government pulled out all the stops and done something to solve the problem?

I can’t help comparing the inaction in this regard with the single-minded obsessiveness to erect an unnecessary Parliament building in Valletta and a pretty but largely useless breakwater bridge. The costs for these projects are calculated to be €80 million and €2.5 million.

Somehow, some way financing was found and works proceeded at a cracking pace so that Austin Gatt could have his ribbon-cutting ceremony in the case of the bridge which has been completed. I’m sure that very soon he’ll have another opportunity to unveil a commemorative plaque when the new Parliament building is inaugurated – works are proceeding that fast.

So how come this industriousness and tenacity in completing grandiose vanity projects and practically none at all when seeing to the completion of a much-needed flood relief project? Especially if the latter would prevent damages, inconvenience and the loss of so many man hours?

All’s very well with cleaning valleys and ensuring that culverts are not blocked before the onset of the rainy season, but that’s just normal maintenance work and no substitute for a flood relief project – even more so, when such a project has been announced and credit taken for it five years ago. Since there is no proof of any such project in the offing, maybe the administration could be less ambitious and issue a tender for a couple of arks.

Lawrence Gonzi has always liked to portray himself as a captain running a tight ship…the least he could do is keep us afloat – literally.

cl.bon@nextgen.net.mt