Today in Gwardamanġa AD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo addressed a press conference on the collapse of buildings due to excavation works.
Alternattiva Demokratika-The Green Party has been insisting for a very long time that residents’ complaints on the damaging intrusion of the building industry in their daily lives has been generally ignored. This applies mostly to intensive developments within the residential zone. Often it is the authorities themselves that turn a blind eye towards these complaints. People’s quality of live is being affected badly and tragically.
The collapse of three buildings, two of which in the first half of this week, are linked with excavation works in building sites. These are the cause of great concern. These are not just accidents, but accidents waiting to happen. No one should be surprised that they actually did happen. We are indeed very lucky that no lives were lost this time round. Let’s remember that a woman had lost her life in the very recent past due to the collapse of her home.
It is not the first time that this type of accident happened. That they do not occur more frequently is the result of dedicated operators and professionals in the building industry who do their best to work properly. It is certainly not the result of the authorities, who, more often than not are as passive as can be.
The building industry regulators generally act as simple letterboxes: receiving reports and correspondence and rarely acting on the contents.
The temporary suspension by government of all demolition and excavation works is the result of panic proving one basic fact: the building industry regulatory authorities do not have the resources to carry out their responsibilities, which they have abdicated.
In respect of each of the three buildings which collapsed in the past weeks we are aware that residents had been complaining for quite some time: no authority took up their complaints to have them acted upon, directly or by being referred urgently to more competent fora.
Government is now preoccupied. It would have been much better if this preoccupation was manifested previously not only by ensuring adequate resourcing of Building Regulation Office (BRO) to be able to carry out its duties and responsibilities, but also by ensuring that all authorities take an interest and investigate without delay complaints received.
Nine months ago, a pubic consultation was launched specifically to ensure that the “accidents” of the past weeks are avoided as much as possible through a consolidation of the existing weak institutions.
These are the accidents we know of. How many more accidents would have happened had they not been avoided through the timely intervention of dedicated professionals?
The emergency regulations to be published by government in the coming days can temporarily patch up the current mess. What is required is adequate resources focused on the continuous and adequate monitoring of the construction industry. This is the only way which ensures that those who have no respect for the residential community in our urban areas are brought to their senses.
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Il-kriżi fl-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni
Illum fi Gwardamanġa ċ-Chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika indirizza konferenza stampa dwar il-kollass ta’ djar minħabba tħaffir.
Alternattiva Demokratika ilha s-snin tenfasizza li l-ilmenti tar-residenti fuq żvilupp mill-industrija tal-bini, ħafna drabi żvilupp intensiv f’żoni residenzjali, mhux mogħti piż u konsiderazzjoni biżżejjed. Bosta drabi huma l-awtoritajiet stess li jinjoraw dawn l-istess ilmenti. Dan qed iwassal għal kwalità ta’ ħajja baxxa f’ambjent urban ikkontaminat.
Il-kollass ta’ tliet binjiet, tnejn minnhom fi tlett ijiem iktar kmieni din il-ġimgħa, assoċjat ma siti fejn qed isir skavar, hu ta’ tħassib kbir, imma ma jissorprendiniex. Fortunatament ma kienx hemm imwiet, kuntrarju għall-passat qarib.
Mhux l-ewwel darba li ġraw dawn l-inċidenti u li ma ġrawx iktar minnhom hu mertu tal-parti l-kbira tal-operaturi u professjonisti fl-industrija tal-bini li jaħdmu b’attenzjoni. Ċertament li mhux mertu tal-awtoritiajiet li iktar iva milli le huma passivi wisq.
L-awtoritajiet regolatorji fl-industrija tal-bini, ħafna drabi jaġixxu qieshom kaxxa tal-ittri (letterbox): jirċievu rapporti u korrispondenza u ftit li xejn jaġixxu fuqhom u dwarhom.
Is-sospensjoni da parti tal-Gvern, anke jekk għal perjodu temporanju, ta’ kull xogħol ta’ kostruzzjoni li jinvolvi skavar u/jew twaqqiegħ ta’ bini hi miżura ta’ paniku li tixhed fatt bażiku wieħed: li l-korpi regolatorji tal-industrja tal-bini m’għandhomx ir-riżorsi biex jagħmlu xogħolhom, u fil-fatt m’humiex jagħmluh.
Dwar kull wieħed mit-tliet każi ta’ kollass ta’ bini f’dawn il-ġimgħat smajna li r-residenti lmentaw u ma sabux lil min jismagħhom. Inkella ma sabux lil min jagħtihom direzzjoni dwar fejn l-ilmenti tagħhom dwar ħsara li kienet qed tiżviluppa taħt għajnejhom setgħu jkunu indirizzati b’urġenza.
Huwa tajjeb li issa l-Gvern hu ppreokkupat. Imma kien ikun aħjar kieku l-preokkupazzjoni wrieha qabel, mhux biss b’Building Regulation Office (BRO) b’riżorsi adegwati biex ikun jista’ jsegwi l-każijiet imma ukoll b’awtoritajiet li jagħtu iktar kas tal-ilmenti tan-nies.
Ilu disa’ xhur li saret konsultazzjoni pubblika li kellha l-intenzjoni li tevita propju dak li seħħ f’dawn il-ġimgħat: biex jissaħħu u jkunu kkonsolidati l-istituzzjonijiet li hu magħruf li huma dgħajfa. F’dawn id-disa’ xhur ma sar xejn biex jibda t-tisħieħ tal-awtoritajiet dgħajfa u dan għamel l-inċidenti ta’ dawn il-ġimgħat sa ċertu punt inevitabbli.
Dawn huma l-inċidenti li nafu bihom. Kemm hemm iktar inċidenti imdendlin jew li ġew evitati bi sbrixx u l-anqas biss ma nafu bihom għax issolvew b’dedikazzjoni minn professjonisti qabel ma dawn kibru?
Ir-regolamenti ta’ emerġenza li ser jippubblika l-Gvern f’dawn il-ġranet jistgħu jimlew vojt temporanju. Li hu meħtieġ mhux dan iżda riżorsi adegwati biex l-industrija tal-kostruzzjoni tkun sorveljata sewwa u l-ħin kollu. Hu biss b’dan il-mod li dawk il-ftit li m’għandhomx rispett lejn il-komunità residenzjali fiz-zoni urbani tagħna jinġiebu f’sensihom.
