185 tonnes of waste, which were mostly construction waste, were removed from the Ħal Far industrial zone, an area where more considerable amounts of illegal waste are dumped.

During the year, the Cleansing and Maintenance Division intervenes several times to remove this inconvenience. During the last intervenion, several trucks were used in order to handle bulky waste and remove the illegal waste dumped at the site. Five workers were exclusively assigned to this area for seven days, and during the process of cleaning, waste was separated on the spot, a Department of Information statement said.

Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Businesses Chris Cardona said that the Ħal Far industrial zone attracts a significant amount of foreign direct investment and is also home to a number of companies employing thousands of workers. Illegal waste dumped at the site can also pose a risk as the area has a good number of companies working with hazardous material. Therefore it is crucial that the area, which is of high economic value, is kept clean and in the best possible condition.

Minister for Justice, Culture and Local Government Owen Bonnici made reference to the vast efforts made by the Cleansing and Maintenance Division when it comes to illegal dumping. “During the past 2 months, the Division intervened on numerous occasions to remove waste from this industrial area. In fact, 185 tonnes of waste, which were mostly construction waste, has already been removed from this area. All of this work is being done to ensure more safety and cleanliness on our islands, for the benefit of our community”, Minister Owen Bonnici stated.

Parliamentary Secretary for Consumer Rights, Public Cleansing and Support for the Capital City Deo Debattista explained that in the past two months, the Cleansing and Maintenance Division intervened several times to remove large amounts of waste from this industrial area. More than 170 tonnes of waste were removed, the majority of which was construction waste. However, a few days later the area was again used as an illegal dumping site with 15 tonnes of illegal waste collected again by the division. Parliamentary Secretary Debattista emphasised the importance that the law should be observed so that our country is kept clean. Whilst the Government is committed to continue to intervene and clear illegal waste, inspections and enforcement will increase to reduce these abuses. For this purpose, each year a specific budget is provided as an additional investment in machinery to help in removing illegal waste dumped.

Director General of the Cleansing and Maintenance Division Ramon Deguara spoke about various enforcement visits during which several persons were caught illegally dumping waste on site who will be arraigned in court in the coming days. He also explained that the Cleansing and Maintenance Division will further augment its efforts in order to control such situations.
The Malta Industrial Parks together with the Cleansing and Maintenance Division are working in full synergy to make sure that Malta’s industrial zones are kept clean.

Anyone wishing to report any type of illegal waste can call on freephone 1718 or uses the mobile app ‘Clean and Upkeep’