ADPD has noted with satisfaction that the new Culture Minister is determined to seek a solution to the problems of the fireworks industry.

Carmel Cacopardo, ADPD-The Green Party Deputy Chairperson, stated that while the Minister’s commitment is laudable, it should be emphasised that the fireworks used in our locality celebrations should not be considered in isolation. The considerable impacts being shouldered by agriculture as a result of the operation of the fireworks industry should be the starting point of the national debate. The consequences of the Magħtab June disaster are still imprinted in our minds, too recent to be forgotten.

The negative impacts of the fireworks industry on agriculture are not factored into the regulatory process. If this is not addressed, we will keep facing more incidents, one after the other. Both low impact incidents as well as far-reaching ones. We will be faced with never-ending consequences.

Carmel Cacopardo emphasised that the Magħtab incident was not an isolated one: it is one of a number of incidents.

There is substantial more damage which is not visible to the naked eye. It is a continuous one resulting from the chemicals used in the manufacture of fireworks. The fireworks  fallout which is spread over arable fields are part of the unaddressed problem. It is an ignored contamination about which various reports and studies have been carried out.

Similarly, farmhouses and the animals which they house are completely ignored by the regulatory process. This was clearly evident in the Magħtab June incident as was evidenced by the resultant large-scale damages, including dead animals.

The incidents during the last weekend at il-Brolli and surrounding areas in Birżebbuġa, which resulted in a warrant of prohibitory injunction issued by the Law Courts have led to

a step forward. They signify that the rural community is done with being silent and with being ignored and is now determined to speak up.

Cacopardo concluded that this leads to the consideration that the time for protecting agriculture and the rural community from the negative impacts of the fireworks industry is long overdue. We cannot keep honouring this duty in the breach. It is only after factoring in agriculture and the rural community that we can start to seriously consider the fireworks industry.

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ADPD isejjaħ biex l-impatti negattivi tan-nar tal-festi fuq il-biedja u l-kwalità tal-ikel jiġu ikkunsidrati bis-serjetà

ADPD bi pjaċir innota li l-Ministru l-ġdid tal-Kultura impenja ruħu li jimmedja biex jissolvew il-problemi konnessi mal-industrija tal-logħob tan-nar. 

Carmel Cacopardo, Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party, qal, li, filwaqt li dan l-impenn tal-Ministru hu pożittiv, għandu jkun emfasizzat li l-logħob tan-nar fil-festi ma jistgħax jitqies għalih waħdu. Il-punt tat-tluq tad-dibattitu nazzjonali għandu jkun il-piż u l-ħsara kbira li ġiet mgħobbija bihom il-biedja minħabba l-industrija tal-logħob tan-nar. Il-konsegwenzi tad-diżastru fil-Magħtab f’Ġunju li għadda għadhom friski f’moħħna.

L-impattti negattivi tal-industrija tal-logħob tan-nar fuq il-biedja mhiex tittieħed bis-serjetà mill-proċess regolatorju. Jekk dan jibqa’ ma jsirx, ser nibqgħu niffaċċjaw iktar inċidenti, wieħed wara l-ieħor. Kemm inċidenti żgħar, kif ukoll inċidenti kbar. Bil-konsegwenzi kollha li dawn iġibu magħhom.

Carmel Cacopardo emfasizza li dan l-inċident tal-Magħtab mhux wieħed iżolat: hu biss  wieħed minn bosta.

Hemm iktar ħsara li ma tidhirx u li issir kontinwament lill-biedja riżultat tal-kimika li tintuża meta jinħadem u jinħaraq il-logħob tan-nar. Il-fdalijiet tal-logħob tan-nar li jaqgħu fil-ħamrija ta’ raba’ li tinħadem hi parti mill-problema li mhiex indirizzata. Hi kawża ta’ kontaminazzjoni injorata. Dwar din il-kontaminazzjoni  saru diversi rapporti li jidhru li waqgħu fuq widnejn torox

Daqstant ieħor huma injorati mill-proċess regolatorju l-irziezet bil-bhejjem li kif deher fl-inċident ta’ Ġunju ma huma protetti bl-ebda mod, kif jixhdu l-ħsarat kbar, inkluż bhejjem mejta.

L-inċident ta’ tmiem il-ġimgħa li għaddiet fil-Brolli u l-inħawi tal-madwar ġewwa Birżebbuġa, li riżultat tiegħu il-Qrati ħarġu mandat ta’ inibizzjoni dwar il-logħob tan-nar, wassal għal pass pożittiv. Għax ifisser li l-komunità rurali iddejqet siekta u injorata u fl-aħħar trid issemma’ leħinha.

Cacopardo ikkonkluda  li wasal iż-żmien li nħarsu lejn il-ħtieġa li tkun protetta l-biedja u l-komunità rurali mill-impatti negattivi tal-logħob tan-nar. Dan l-obbligu ma jistax jibqa’ jigi injorat. Huwa biss wara li nibdew nagħtu każ bis-serjetà tal-impatti fuq il-biedja u l-komunità rurali kif ukoll fuq l-effett fuq l-ikel li jipprovdu l-bdiewa u r-raħħala li nistgħu nibdew nitkellmu bis-serjetà dwar il-logħob tan-nar.