Wardija residents, together with the St Paul’s Bay local council and other groups, yesterday held a press conference in protest against Vodafone Malta, which is putting up a telecommunications antennae in Wardija.
Although a Planning Appeal had been duly lodged following the approval of Vodafone’s original application by the Malta Environment Planning Authority (MEPA), this appeal is scheduled for hearing on 19 October 2005. They explained that the planned antenna will have a two-fold detrimental effect – first is the serious health hazard that an antenna of this sort used for Mobile Telephony poses, since it utilises electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs). Their main concern lies with the emissions released by the EMFs and their effects on human beings, animals and produce.
Various studies have been carried out worldwide which clearly indicate that the emissions released by EMFs may have serious detrimental effects on humans, particularly children, and may lead to various complications among which is the development of brain tumours. The site where Vodafone seems to be proceeding unhindered with building of the the antennae, is in close proximity to a special school. Greater care and concern should be taken in this case, the Wardija residents argued.
The second concern regards the environmental impact such an antenna will have on Wardija.
“MEPA was one of the first, out of all local authorities, departments and groups, to defend Wardija as one of the few remaining sites of natural beauty, rich in endemic flora and fauna. The very area itself where the antenna is being erected, is an area of natural forestation over an unspoilt garigue, which has already been partially ruined due to the heavy vehicles that have accessed the antenna location and dumped a large number of tonnes of building waste to create a suitable foundation for the antenna to be set up. This in itself is a blatant assault on our natural and rapidly diminishing habitat, especially when one realises that it seems to have received initial approval by MEPA,” the protesters pointed out.
Furthermore, they questioned Vodafone’s access to this land, which falls under the control of the Lands Department and has been leased out as agricultural land to third parties.
“Hence, any sort of commercial activity over the land, or sub lease of a particular part of the land as is the case in point, would be tantamount to a breach of contract and would constitute sufficient grounds for repossession of the land.”
To date, the Lands Department have been non-committal regarding the title or lack of it that Vodafone possesses over the particular piece of government property in which the antenna is being erected, the residents said.
Finally, the residents expressed their satisfaction at the “expeditious reaction” of the St Paul’s Bay local council on receiving the news that Vodafone panned to put up an antenna Wardija, which consisted of an objection in writing being submitted to MEPA earlier this month.