This year’s Clean Up the World activity will be held between today and Sunday, with the usual government participation. Clean Up the World is an international activity.

It is being organised by the Resources and Infrastructure Ministry and the Rural Affairs and Environment Ministry, with the participation of 39 primary and secondary schools, 23 local councils, six government bodies, 13 private companies, 10 NGOs and 19 other associations. The activities will be spread all over the country.

As in previous years, the campaign reaches its highlight at a particular site, where not only would cleaning up take place, but other family oriented activities as well, which would emphasise the natural environment. This year that site would be the new nature and history park ‘Il-Majjistral’ at Mellieha. The cleaning up will take place on Sunday.

The site covers 2.6 square kms, and some bulky refuse has already been removed.

Resources Minister Ninu Zammit said there had been a reduction in illegally dumped waste, when compared to previous years but this was still going on. Just this year some 9,000 tons of rubbish has been removed, at a cost of some Lm400,000 (EUR931,749.36), a sum that could have been used more profitably, he said. That was what it had cost the country to embellish Wied Babu and Hagar Qim with a two km promenade.