49 acres of land in Ta' Qali which had become subject to sustained illegal dumping are being cleared by the Planning Authority.

The cleaning operation, which started today, is expected to take at least two weeks to complete.

The site in question is in Ta' Qali and was Malta's first factory producing pre-cast concrete slabs in the 1970s and 80s. It has since fallen abandoned. The site is owned by the government, and even though it was leased out to a private entity, the state of the site remains the responsibility of the land owner.

The area is riddled namely with construction waste but also abandoned heavy vehicles and home furniture and appliances. Concrete slabs remain strewn across the 49 acre land.

The action that the PA has taken follows their issuing of an enforcement notice some weeks ago.

Charles Gafa from the PA's compliance and enforcement office told this newsroom that the cleanup action was especially motivated by the fact that many families frequented Ta Qali, and the site could in itself present a danger to passers-by. He said that the PA is trying to separate the waste to recycle what they can. He said that the construction waste will be sent to quarries whilst the metal waste will also be sent to metal breakers.

Photos Alenka Falzon