Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government Owen Bonnici said today that the Cleansing and Maintenance Division has removed more than 16,000 tonnes of illegally dumped waste during 2018.
Minister Bonnici stated the above during a visit to the area known as Tal-Papa in Birżebbuġa, where currently the Division is carrying out extensive works on the area. He highlighted the importance of the work carried out by the Cleansing and Maintenance Division and said that “this Division does its utmost daily to ensure that our country is kept clean and well maintained, and we are committed to keep on improving our localities for the benefit of our community. Through all of this, we are ensuring safer and cleaner spaces for our families to enjoy and appreciate.”
This locality in the south of Malta is one of the numerous locations which are being maintained by this Division.
This exercise collected more than 128 tonnes of waste. The waste included cardboard waste, construction waste and furniture amongst others. Ten workers were exclusively allocated on this site for four days for increase in efficiency. The workers used various machinery, including excavators and three trucks, to complete the tasks at hand.
Parliamentary Secretary for Consumer Rights, Public Cleansing and Support for the Capital City Deo Debattista spoke about the need for more cleanliness in our country, because it affects every one of us in a variety of ways, from the health aspect, the aesthetic beauty of our country, and the economy of the country which is largely dependent on tourism. Parliamentary Secretary Debattista thanked the work of the Cleansing and Maintenance Division under the leadership of Ramon Deguara for the valuable work being done day and night, from Monday to Sunday. He concluded by urging the Maltese and Gozitan public to observe the laws and other waste regulations in order to preserve the beauty of our country.
By the end of March this year the Cleansing and Maintenance Division collected over 4,500 tonnes of illegal waste. The General Director of the Cleansing and Maintenance Division Ramon Deguara explained that the Division is committed to continue this work in more locations. Deguara spoke about the need that this work must be in parallel with enforcement. This Division has an agreement with LESA to enforce and therefore undercut these illegalities in various locations around Malta.
Parliamentary Secretary for Local Government and Communities Silvio Parnis said that this initiative continues to show that community officers, who on the first of last May were transferred to the Governmental agency LESA, are understanding more clearly the needs of our communities and now local enforcement is no longer limited to traffic contraventions but is also thriving in other important areas such as the environment. The Parliamentary Secretary said the investment in the LESA operation is an investment for all citizens who are now benefitting from a better service.
To report any kind of waste one can call on 1718 or use the mobile app: Clean and Upkeep.