Aren’t trucks carrying construction material from building sites supposed to be adequately covered when they are on the road? Aren’t stone-cutting machines at building sites supposed to be equipped with dust-control equipment? Shouldn’t quarry entrance/exit areas be cleaned up every now and then?

Who controls the rampant abuses that are taking place at building sites in this regard every day? If there is an authority that is charged with this task, it does not seem that it is making much headway, judging by the dust storms that builders manage to stir up.

Dust, rubbish and noise are three inconveniences that many parts of the island are plagued with for most of the summer. There is traffic congestion too but that is a problem which will take far greater willpower to solve than tackling abuses in construction and making sure that this tiny island is kept relatively clean.

It is no wonder that so many people are today suffering from allergies. The amount of dust generated by builders is huge, with small contractors often acting like bullies when confronted by people living close to building sites about clear contraventions of the law. In days of high winds, a good number of places become dust bowls.

Also, noise is becoming unbearable, particularly in areas close to bars and entertainment places. Organisers of social events very often do not think of the inconvenience high-pitch noise causes to the people living in the vicinity of the venues they choose and, to boot, it often goes on well into the night.

Noise from events at Ta’ Qali, such as the beer festival, to mention one example, at times travels to as far as San Anton gardens. People watching MADC’s Romeo and Juliet there could hear music in the background.

Those generating excessive noise are often unaware of the stress it creates to others. Again, as in the case of dust, there does not seem to be any sort of control of this nuisance.

And then there is the accumulation of rubbish here and there.

No matter how many cleaning campaigns are launched and how many warnings are given, the problem of keeping this tiny island clean has not been solved yet.

Malta looks at its worst in summer when, considering the number of tourists it receives, it should look at its best. Not enough attention is paid to keeping public areas clean. Seafronts, where people congregate in thousands every evening in the warm months, ought to be washed more often than they are today. And the approaches to bays and other swimming areas ought to be seen to as well. Rubbish bins have to be emptied regularly and the areas around them thoroughly cleaned of the residue of liquid that oozes out of the refuse.

There is need for an efficient organisation that takes care of all these things for, otherwise, standards will deteriorate even further.

There has been improvement in the upkeep of some public places but far too many other locations remain shabby. The sad truth is that the people’s mindset about cleanliness has changed very little over the years.

Changing this mindset is one of Malta’s biggest challenges in the efforts to make the island cleaner and a more pleasant place to live in.

The challenge can only be met through sustained educational programmes and stiffer penalties for people caught dirtying the country.

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