Last Tuesday’s heavy downpour was a successful test for the excellent work to prevent flooding carried out since that fateful September 2003 storm. At the same time, however, Tuesday’s heavy rains also showed that there are several areas in Malta and Gozo that are still badly affected every time there is a heavy downpour. Therefore, more work is needed.

That unforgettable storm two years ago, caused a huge amount of damage all over the country at a considerable cost.

It became clear that the island’s valleys had to be cleared, and new watercourses needed to be built to alleviate, if not totally prevent, serious flooding problems.

Soon after that September 2003 storm, the Resources and Infrastructure Ministry embarked on an extensive campaign to improve the situation. In fact, among other things, 12 kilometres of valleys in various parts of Malta were cleaned to help floodwaters take their natural course, while a watercourse between Qormi and Marsa was built to ease the flooding problems in the area.

Anybody driving in Qormi and Marsa last Tuesday – two areas that were always subject to heavy flooding – could see to what extent the work had helped to reduce flooding.

The roads were still covered in water but certainly not as much as they were in the past and, as a result, they were not a threat to motorists.

Of course, these are just the first steps towards a long-lasting solution... a lot more needs to be done to improve the situation. At present, work is under way to build a new canal in the Marsa-Albert Town area, while dredging work at Salina will remove a total of 20,000 tonnes of material.

Although this is a positive start, there are many other areas that are still flooded every time it rains heavily and for long periods of time.

It is therefore good to hear that the ministry has prepared a detailed application for European Union funding for a multi-million liri project to prevent flooding in the Birkirkara, Msida and Balzan areas – three places normally heavily hit when it rains.

The project – earmarked for the period 2007-2013 – involves the construction of 20 kilometres of underground tunnels, plus reservoirs that would enable rainwater to be eliminated from the road surface, and possibly be collected to be used for agricultural or other purposes.

It is certainly an ambitious project – one that might take quite a lot of time to complete – but one which will lessen, if not totally eliminate, flooding problems in these areas. Let us hope that the EU will accept Malta’s application in this regard.

But the work should not stop there either. As explained above, there are other areas that need attention to reduce the risk of heavy flooding. Pictures and footage shown in newspapers and on television this week indicate that more work needs to be done.

The ministry should therefore continue its sterling contribution to improve the situation in other areas that are hard-hit when it rains heavily.

Although urgent action is required, we must not fall into the trap of rushing to finish a project and thereby provide only a temporary solution.

What is also important, however, is that the public does its part as well. It is, for instance, useless to clean up 12 kilometres of valleys from illegally dumped waste, only for these same valleys to be filled with more waste material a few weeks later. In this context, the littering and dumping regulations that come into effect next month, will hopefully act as a deterrent.

It is also crucial that valleys, watercourses and road culverts are also cleaned after every heavy rainfall to prevent blockages and possible damage to the valleys and watercourses. Regular maintenance is just as important.