The illegal practice of cordoning off fields with oil drums or other derelict white goods to make them inaccessible to the public is being tackled head on by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority (Mepa) and the PARKS unit within the Ministry for Rural Affairs and the Environment (MRAE) in an effort to free the Maltese countryside from this gruesome eyesore.
This exercise, which started earlier this year, has so far targeted 16 localities in Malta, with large quantities being removed from the rural localities of Zurrieq, Safi, Mqabba and Qrendi, and the industrial area of Tal-Handaq. The removed derelict objects deposited on rubble walls in over 290 sites include white goods (washing machines etc), pallets, rusty oil drums, furniture and other rubbish. Collectively, Mepa and the PARKS unit removed 75.5 tons of derelict waste. At a number of sites, the Authority found the full co-operation of the site-owners who assisted in this operation.
Mepa spokesperson said, “this illegal practice, which has been going on for decades, should be stopped. Not only is it illegal to place these objects as boundary barricades, but this practice is also tarnishing the richness and natural beauty of our countryside.” He continued: “our traditional ‘hajt tas-sejjieh’ or rubble wall is an integral feature of our rural areas, which need to be protected and preserved.”
The authority is committed to continue with this exercise in the coming weeks to ensure that the national countryside is freed from derelict objects that not only act as an eyesore but contribute towards the loss of biodiversity.