The government has made the environment one of the three pillars of its policies, environment minister George Pullicino told a Radio 101 programme. They had closed the Maghtab and tal-Qortin dumps and were now in the process of transforming them into recreational zones.

The EU co-funded rehabilitation of the Maghtab dump, costing e8.4 million, included the introduction of 43 wells and pipes which were 12 metres high to collect gases generated by the rubbish.

Mr Pullicino said they had embellished the country with recreation zones and would continue doing so with a nature and history park in the north-west. Three environmental NGOs, Din l-Art Helwa, Gaia Foundation and Nature Trust, would be managing the park, which would cover an area that was five times as large as Valletta.

Other measures included promoting the use of biodiesel and identifying some 40 sites to be declared sites of national natural importance. They had also introduced rules to regulate construction sites for the benefit of neighbours, he said.