Former President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca lashed out at the recently uncovered Mriehel flyover project, asking whether people living in Qormi will continue to have their open spaces and farmland "stolen?"

Qormi farmers and residents are up in arms against what they described as yet another mysterious road-building project, in which state agency Infrastructure Malta plans to build a new flyover in the Mriehel bypass.

She said that the news is of great concern to people who live in Qormi.

Coleiro Preca said that Qormi is already surrounded by 7 industrial zones and that air pollution in the area due to traffic and large vehicles travelling through the heart of the locality is rife. She also asked in IM knows that Qormi has become a centre of commerce with rampant development at the expense of agricultural land.

"Could it be that Infrastructure Malta hasn't realised that there is no green belt left between Qormi and the surrounding localities?"

She also expressed concern over the possible risk to historical sites like the Pinto tower.

She said that IM must be transparent, say what impact studies were conducted and publish them, consult with the local council and meet with the Qormi residents.

She questioned by how much the plan will increase traffic and whether air quality tests were conducted, what the social effects and the impact on the quality of life of those impacted by the project would be, among other things.

She said that Qormi residents are not against progress, but said that progress must serve the people.