Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg is misinformed on the Wied Qirda situation. Concrete was laid to act as an access road, which blocked off part of the Zebbug valley watercourse,

PD Leader Godfrey Farrugia had asked Infrastructure Minister Ian Borg in Parliament why this access road was illegally built; it blocks the valley and was recently tarmacked. He said the Planning Authority removed the enforcement order that was placed on this access road, and asked for a reason to be given. He also asked why the natural environment of the valley was not taken into consideration, and why a bridge was not built instead of just filling it with concrete.

In response, Minister Borg said that the work carried out by Infrastructure Malta in the area was just to resurface the existing road with strong enough asphalt layers to support the transport needs, “as is happening in tens of kilometres of country roads which are used daily by farmers and residents.” This work did not involve the construction of new roads or backfilling, but rather the reconstruction of the existing road surface, Borg said.

He said that the road identified is an access road that was already visible on the 1968 survey sheets and that permits were granted in the past on sites which only have access from this access road. “At the same time it seems that the rainwater channel to the valley is not blocked. As such, the enforcement order which read that ‘a dam was built and a road crossing the valley’ was withdrawn as it was issued on an incorrect premise.”

He said that legislation exempts government entities from the need to acquire permits for the maintenance and improvement of existing roads, “as is the current case”.

This newsroom went on site however, and it is now clear that the minister was misinformed, as the access road does indeed create a blockage.

Recently, water that was being blocked by the concrete dam started eroding the soil underneath, with the result that a good chunk of the recently asphalted road has caved in and crumbled into the valley, creating another obstacle.

The collapsed road has been closed by police barriers since October.

Speaking to The Malta Independent on Sunday, Godfrey Farrugia said that Wied Qirda is a valley that is well sheltered by high ridges and terraced landscaped fields. “Its watercourse starts from the high grounds of Siggiewi and Rabat fertile land and springs and is renowned for its biodiversity, recreational walk ways and a land mark identity associated with Zebbug.

“In the early 9’s construction waste and rubble was being regularly dumped along the sides of the valley. At the time I was the locality’s mayor and the local council was granted permission by the relevant authorities to clear and regenerate parts of the valley. This included the building of a bridge and rubble walls.”

One major obstacle was a foot/cart path which crossed the floor of the valley to give access from a country road on the Zebbug side to the other bank, Farrugia said. “Overnight it was transformed into a cross way the width of a two-way road, by the illegal dumping of rubble, to bridge the gap of the watercourse, so that an illegal rural development could be accessed by vehicles. Despite at least one enforcement notice, this was further widened, and to add insult to injury it has now been tarmacked, to the detriment of the natural habitat and capital.”

“Transport Malta spearheaded this project without consulting Environment and Resources, when scientific and good practice management dictate otherwise.

“This will harness the water flow, contributing to the erosion of watercourse banks and will definitely contribute to the degradation of the valley flora and fauna.”

He said that he has been in touch with Minister Borg to let him know that he has been misinformed.

“The building of a bridge would have served the purpose,” he said. Farrugia highlighted that aside from rainwater and water from natural springs passing through the valley, the Zebbug underground storm water culvert system throws water there as well.

“If government wants to build a road to serve the residents on the other side then fine, but build a bridge, don’t fill it up like that. It could cause a flooding situation, and if it rains a lot, the accumulation of water could carry debris with it. It is not best practice. Nobody is saying that the residents on the other side of the road should not have access, but build a bridge.”