Allowing Dwejra visitors to walk on top of the iconic Azure Window was of grave concern, the Gozo Tourism Association and the San Lawrenz council have said, but they claim they lack the resources needed to monitor the area adequately.

In recent months, there have been increasing fears that the structure, which attracts thousands of tourists to the area every year, could collapse as it is eroding at a rapid pace.

Yet visitors to the area are still walking over the structure, despite signs put up by the local council advising otherwise.

“From our end, there isn’t much we can do. We have placed signs and even wooden beams, but people just ignore them. We need someone there to enforce this,” San Lawrenz mayor Noel Formosa said yesterday.

Mr Formosa said the council was aware that many people were ignoring the instructions but added that it did not have the necessary funds to install adequate safeguards.

He said he was very concerned about the situation, especially since more visitors came over in the summer months.

The matter would be addressed during the next council meeting, he said, but he was not anticipating any solution.

“I know the police cannot do much because they lack the manpower. I won’t even ask them to because I know what they would say,” the mayor said.

The same sentiment was expressed by the GTA chief executive, Joe Muscat, who called for better management of the Dwejra area, especially in light of the recent erosion reports.

The council does not have the necessary funds to install adequate safeguards

“It’s a pity that we could be losing this very popular attraction but we also need to make sure that visitors’ safety is given priority,” Mr Muscat said, adding that the association had been worried for some time about the issue.

He also called for the Dwejra management board to be set up as soon as possible, adding that the association, like the council, did not have the funds or human resources to monitor the area.

“It’s useless having signage if there is nobody there to enforce this. Lifeguards, similar to those found at beaches, should be assigned to the area to protect those who visit the site,” Mr Muscat said.

Last month, this newspaper reported that the government was in the process of setting up a management board to safeguard the area. It was dismantled after having held its last meeting in 2012. The board, set up by Mepa in 2007 to manage the area, consisted of representatives of the government, the local council and environmental bodies.

Questions sent to the Gozo Ministry have not been answered.

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