Less than a month after the first Earth Day Clean Up activity held at Wied Għomor, part of the national initiative to clean more than 77 locations across the country, the valley has recently undergone a second day of extensive cleaning due to the vast amounts of waste found on site, with a further five skips of rubbish being removed. In all, 20 tons of rubbish have so far been removed from this valley.
Sponsored by Izola Bank and organised by NGOs Għaqda Siġar Maltin and Malta Clean Up, a 40-strong team of volunteers and residents helped carry out the continued restoration of this valley.
Bordering San Ġwann and Swieqi, Wied Għomor is one of the last remaining green valleys found in the surrounding neighbourhoods.
Years of abuse have seen tons of construction waste, household appliances and general debris dumped in this valley, causing not only an eye-sore for the residents and passers-by but also strangling the indigenous flora and fauna that used to grow here.
Julian Caruana, long-term Swieqi resident and member of NGO Għaqda Siġar Maltin, the main group behind coordinating this activity, said: “The amount of junk that has been dumped in this beautiful valley is heartbreaking. Over two days in the last month, we have collected over 10 skips full to the brim with rubbish, ranging from bathtubs and fridges to metal tanks, bottles and clothes. The state of neglect and disrespect to our countryside is astounding.”
Għaqda Siġar Maltin focuses on rehabilitating degraded ecosystems around Malta by cleaning and repopulating them with indigenous flora grown from local stock. It restores natural habitat based on expert advice and using the best practices possible to enhance the selected areas. The vision for Wied Għomor is to have it ready for planting trees and shrubs by November.
Izola Bank was pleased to sponsor the second clean-up of this valley by renting five large skips and a crane to help volunteers, including members of the bank’s staff, remove the rubbish more effectively and safely.
Mr Caruana believes that this project will help make the valley greener and richer in biodiversity. “By creating a self-sufficient ecosystem with constant help from volunteers, associate NGOs and sponsors such as Izola Bank, Wied Għomor could begin to see indigenous riparian trees, such as ash, chaste and poplar trees, reintroduced in the valley once again,” he said.
In addition to coordinating and liaising with several non-profit organisations, Għaqda Siġar Maltin is making sure it is guided by ecological experts to minimise disruption to local ecosystems during projects like these and always sources the relevant permits from the Environment and Resources Authority.