Last month, Prime Minister Robert Abela and Transport Minister Ian Borg inaugurated one of the administration’s flagship projects: the Central Link in Attard.
The project is far from complete. A tunnel, which came as an afterthought, is still being dug at Mrieel, causing traffic jams and delays in travel times. It is clear that this inauguration was a failed attempt to gain popularity in the run-up to an election.
Even more troublesome is the prime minister’s statement that every project undertaken by the government has an environmental dimension. Of course, there’s an environmental dimension to each project and that includes the negative environmental impacts brought about by the government’s arrogance and disregard for the environment.
The government claimed that they would plant 950 trees but did not mention the uprooting and destruction of hundreds of trees, even mature trees that are over 100 years old. These trees could have been saved from being uprooted if they had been included into road design.
Borg also forgot about tree preservation and their possible incorporation into road design. This was just like the Mriel tunnel that is still incomplete. Protestors only chained themselves to them in an effort to raise awareness of tree destruction.
Other mature trees are also rapidly dying from neglectful trenching that cut their roots and a lack of mitigation. The systemic and sometimes illegal tree destruction along the Central Link cannot be compensated by sapling planting.
We were told that historical features would not be altered because interventions were made under the watchful eye of the Superintendence Cultural Heritage.
This country has the worst environmental protection ever– Robert Cutajar
It didn’t seem that way when mechanical excavators were digging a few centimetres from the Grade 1 scheduled 17th-century Wignacourt aqueduct in Attard, with no hoarding deployed and no archaeological monitors on site, only to be ordered to stop by the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage. Following concerns from concerned citizens, Infrastructure Malta was ordered to stop digging. This wanton disregard for Malta’s historical heritage is not limited to the Central Link but was also evident in other projects undertaken by Infrastructure Malta.
I am reminded of the 19th-century British military track that runs along the Victoria Lines in Binemma, and the encroachment onto 17th-century St James chapel paravis, in Luqa.
The danger posed by the planned road to nowhere is the same as the danger to Santa Duminka’s medieval church in Dingli. This road would have a devastating impact on not only the church, but also agricultural land and centuries old carob trees. In many other areas, agricultural land was bulldozed to make way for road construction. This was before the land was ever expropriated legally from its rightful owners.
Comino is a protected area of conservation. The Ministry for Gozo decided that it would dig up the road at Blue Lagoon and litter the protected garigue with excavated material. The work was completed without an ERA permit. Despite being directed by the environmentombudsman for the work to be reversible, nothing has been done. Similarly, IM was repeatedly apprehended for carrying out environmentally destructive works in protected areas, even though he had been directed by the environment ombudsman to reverse them.
The level of protection for the environment is at its lowest point ever. We heard last month that yet another ERA chief had resigned. The ERA is now competing with the police force for leadership turnover, having had four different heads within six years.
Soon, the people will be asked to vote once more and decide who will lead the country in the next legislative session. We as a party are determined stop this senseless destruction being caused by government institutions, and by a very poor environmental protection policy.
We will ensure that institutions like these are led by example and adhere to the law under a future PN-led government. We will implement our proposals, which were designed to ensure a better environment for future generations.
Robert Cutajar is the spokesperson of the PN for the environment
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