Sources told The Malta Independent on Sunday that this problem had been predicted by farmers in the area, and that the supposed rodent control programme put in place is not working. Rather than dying in the dump itself, dead rats are found regularly outside the limits of Qortin. Xaghra residents also said that every morning, the road leading to Marsalforn is littered with dead rats which met their end under some vehicle’s wheels after exiting the landfill at night. These residents also voiced their concern that the carcasses are dumped in fields close by, and could cause some sort of epidemic if not disposed of properly.

If the situation in Xaghra is as bad as these residents say it is, one can only imagine the extent of the rat infestation when the Maghtab landfill closes down completely. Residents of Naxxar, Bahar ic-Caghaq and Madliena would do well to invest in a little rat poison...