During a press conference in the limits of Tal-Balal in San Ġwann on Saturday, ADPD-The Green Party Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo said that “it is utterly unacceptable that commercial operators continue to disregard the residents’ plight with what seems to be the blessing of the authorities that is turning the residents’ quality of life into a continuous nightmare.”
Deputy Secretary General Sandra Gauci (who addressed the press conference remotely since she is currently in quarantine) said that the residents in the vicinity of this tarmac plant have been complaining for years about the situation but their pleas to the authorities seem to have fallen on deaf ears.
Then on the last day of the electoral campaign – in the evening of Thursday 24th March – this plant came back to life, ‘coincidentally’ at a time when the media were all focused with the last political party activities… and a time when it was too late for us to broadcast it for publication!
Deputy Chairperson Mario Mallia said that it must not be a coincidence that one of the tarmac plant owners happens to be the canvasser of a former PL Minister on the 8th District.
The air of impunity that has reigned supreme for so long now in our country and the close connections between political and commercial interests seems to prevail also in this case where the tarmac plant operators are being allowed to do as they please.
Carmel Cacopardo said that the residents have brought to the attention of the authorities the great inconvenience that the Bitmac Ltd in the limits of Tal-Balal was causing them for very long.
This includes an obnoxious smell as well as pollution that appears in the form of black dust particles blown in the direction of the wind.
ADPD have been observing this plant over the past months for days on end in order to establish exactly what was going on. During the electoral campaign itself we had noticed that it had not been operating at night. In fact we had come on site several times during the past weeks because of the continuous complaints we received from Għargħur, Naxxar and Iklin residents.
Residents from the surrounding areas have been bringing this to the attention of the authorities for many years to no avail. Cacopardo said that “it is utterly unacceptable that commercial operators continue to disregard the residents’ plight with what seems to be the blessing of the authorities that is turning the residents’ quality of life into a continuous nightmare.”
The Environment and Resources Authority (ERA) should demand for the immediate installation of filters so that the air quality in the environs of the plant is improved. It is also imperative that the plant stops operating permanently unless there can be substantial improvements in the technology currently being used. “The residents’ quality of life should be prioritised in practice, and not just with meaningless words. ADPD will be looking into what steps can be taken to safeguard the residents’ rights in the coming days,” concluded Cacopardo.
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Impjant f’tal-Balal jagħmel ħajjet ir-residenti infern
“Kien għadu u jibqa’ inaċċettabbli li operaturi kummerċjali jiġu jaqgħu u jqumu mir-residenti u b’dik li tidher barka mill-awtoritajiet jibqgħu jagħmlu l-ħajja ta’ dawn ir-residenti infern lejl u nhar.” Dan qalu Carmel Cacopardo, Chairperson ta’ ADPD-The Green Party huwa u jindirizza konferenza stampa fil-limiti tal-Balal, San Ġwann is-Sibt.
Sandra Gauci, Deputat Segretarju Ġenerali (b’mod remot peress li qegħda fi kwarantina) qalet li ir-residenti tal-madwar ilhom snin jiġbdu l-attenzjoni tal-awtoritajiet iżda dawn ma waslu imkien.
Madankollu, kien propju fl-aħħar ġurnata tal-kampanja elettorali, nhar il-Ħamis, 24 ta’ Marzu filgħaxija li dan l-impjant reġa ħa l-ħajja – b’kumbinazzjoni meta l-media kienet okkupata bl-aħħar attivitajiet tal-partiti kollha… u tard wisq għalina li nxandruha biex tiġi rrapurtata!
Mario Mallia, Deputat Chairperson qal li jidher li mhux b’kumbinazzjoni li wieħed mis-sidien ta’ dan l-impjant huwa canvasser ta’ ex-Ministru Laburista li joħroġ fuq it-8 Distrett.
L-impunita’ li refgħet rasha f’pajjiżna u r-rabta mill-qrib bejn il-poter politiku u dak kummerċjali jidher li f’dan il-każ ukoll qegħda tirrenja fejn l-operaturi jidher li qegħdin jitħallew jagħmlu li jridu mingħajr l-ebda restrizzjonijiet.
Carmel Cacopardo, qal li r-residenti tal-madwar kienu ilhom jikkomunikaw mal-awtoritajiet rigward l-iskumdità li qiegħed joħloq lir-residenti tal-madwar l-impjant tal-Bitmac Ltd fil-limiti ta’ tal-Balal.
Dan jinkludi waqtiet ta’ irwejjaħ insapportabbli, kif ukoll tniġġis f’forma ta’ trab iswed meta r-rih ikun jaqbel.
Tul dawn l-aħħar xhur u għal jiem sħaħ, aħna ta’ ADPD żammejna dan l-impjant taħt osservazzjoni biex naraw eżattament x’inhu jiġri. Tul il-kampanja elettorali konna osservajna li kien ilu ma jopera bil-lejl. Filfatt konna fuq il-post diversi drabi matul il-ġimgħat li għaddew minħabba ilmenti li rċevejna minn residenti tal-Għargħur, Naxxar u l-Iklin.
Ir-residenti tal-madwar ilhom snin jiġbdu l-attenzjoni tal-awtoritajiet iżda dawn ma waslu imkien. “Kien għadu u jibqa’ inaċċettabbli li operaturi kummerċjali jiġu jaqgħu u jqumu mir-residenti u b’dik li tidher barka mill-awtoritajiet jibqgħu jagħmlu l-ħajja ta’ dawn ir-residenti infern lejl u nhar,” sostna Cacopardo.
L-ERA għandha tieħu l-inizjattuva bla iktar dewmien biex jiġu stallati filters immedjatament ħalli l-kwalità tal-arja fl-inħawi titjieb. Hu meħtieġ ukoll li jekk mhux possibbli li jkun hemm titjib fit-teknoloġija użata l-impjant jingħalaq immedjatament. “Il-kwalità tal-ħajja tan-nies għandha tingħata prijorità bil-fatti, mhux bil-paroli. Fil-ġranet li ġejjin se naraw x’passi nistgħu nieħdu dwar dan,” temm jgħid Cacopardo.
