Before: One of the tents at the Qalet Marku ‘shanty town’. Photos: Keith Micallef

Makeshift tents in what looked like a shanty town that mushroomed recently at Qalet Marku in Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq disappeared mysteriously, just a day after Times of Malta flagged the matter to the authorities.

However, parts of this popular spot formerly occupied by the tents are still littered with debris and rubbish and, in some cases, pose a safety hazard.

The issue was flagged to the authorities last Thursday when Times of Malta received complaints that at least five large tents had been erected at strategic points on the Qalet Marku peninsula.

Onsite inspection showed the tents were being used as dormitories

It was also pointed out that the makeshift structures had remained there for weeks despite persistent complaints and reports to the authorities.

An onsite inspection by this newspaper confirmed that the tents were being used as dormitories, with rugs and mattresses all over the place. However, bar one case, all appeared to be uninhabited. 

Waste littered the site where the unsightly structures, which lacked any sanitary facilities, stood and the surrounding trees had evidently fallen victim to the ‘shanty town’ residents.

“These tents were frequented over weekends by a number of Syrian families who would be especially visible at night due to bonfires next to their tents,” a Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq resident said. 

After: the site after the tents were cleared.

He complained the place was fast becoming a no-go area as people were becoming increasingly apprehensive of venturing there.

This newspaper enquired with the police, the Planning Authority and the Lands Authority on the matter. Though none them had replied at the time of writing, barely 24 hours after the questions were sent the Times of Malta was informed by passers-by that the tents had been removed.

The complete silence from the authorities meant it could not be established whether the tents has been removed on the strength of an enforcement action or otherwise. However, a closer inspection of the site showed the site had been left in a complete mess.

Read: From informal camp site to dumping ground

In some places, concrete or gravel had been laid on virgin land to level the ground and, elsewhere, one could see rugs, old furniture and mattresses. 

There was also a metre-deep hole with a rusty metal tank immersed in it, posing a serious hazard to passers-by.

The removal of the tents was welcomed by at least one Baħar iċ-Ċagħaq resident. 

“The authorities have finally woken up because all our previous complaints seemed to have fallen on deaf ears,” the man remarked when this newspaper visited the site over the weekend to confirm that it had indeed been cleared of the structures.

However, he wondered who would be clearing up the mess left behind and if somebody would be prosecuted for the disfigurement of the place.