Ramblers walking down Wied il-Mielah in Gharb informed this newspaper that parts of the newly restored rubble walls in the valley have collapsed following recent showers.

The Wied il-Mielah restoration project is financed through the European Regional Development Fund and falls under the responsibility of the Gharb local council. The project, according to the planning and priorities coordination division entails the restoration and management of storm water.

The Malta Independent spoke to Gharb mayor David Apap about the project and the recent damage to the rubble walls. Mr Apap said the council was responsible for the restoration of 5,000 square metres of rubble walls. The council, said the mayor, first classified the rubble walls into a three-tier system, according to the walls’ state, and then decided which walls were to be restored and which are fit to remain untouched.

Mr Apap said the valley receives water flowing from Gharb, San Lawrenz, Ghasri, Zebbug, and three other valleys. During rainy season, the water level can be over a storey high, creating a lot of pressure on rubble walls. Mr Apap said the new walls have altered the natural watercourse, resulting in a strain on older walls, some of which collapsed under the pressure.

The mayor said since only 50 square metres out of a total of 5,000 square metres collapsed, one can still call the project a success. He concluded that the contractor who carried out the restoration works is obliged to rebuild the damaged parts, as stipulated in the contract.

The Gharb mayor said the council had applied for a comprehensive project worth Lm400,000, but only managed to get Lm86,000. He said the project therefore had to be reduced from the original large-scale project to a more humble rubble-wall restoration and valley-cleaning project.