L-Imqabba: vittma ta’ istituzzjonijiet li mhux qed jaħdmu
Il-barrieri madwar l-Imqabba ma bdewx illum. Filwaqt li jagħmel sens li meta jispiċċaw mill-użu tagħhom bħala barrieri jkunu rijabilitati billi jintużaw biex fihom jintradam l-iskart tal-bini, dan iżda għandu jsir mingħajr ma joħloq problemi addizzjonali għar-residenti. Il-futur ippjanat dwar il-Barriera numru 48 fi Triq il-Belt Valletta, Sqaq Nru 2 Mqabba imma hu tali li ma jagħtix każ adegwat tal-impatti fuq in-nies. L-Imqabba hi vittma ta’ istituzzjonijiet li mhux qed jaħdmu. Dan qaluh kelliema ta’ ADPD-The Green Party meta indirizzaw konferenza tal-aħbarijiet quddiem l-iskola primarja tal-Imqabba.
Id-Dipartiment tal-Edukazzjoni, qalet Dr Melissa Bagley, Deputat Chairperson u kandidat ta’ ADPD-The Green Party fuq il-5 Distrett li minnu l-Imqabba jagħmel parti, ma fetaħx ħalqu biex jipproteġi l-interessi tat-tfal u l-għalliema li jattendu l-Iskola Primarja tal-Imqabba. Dan minħabba li bil-miżuri ta’ mitigazzjoni proposti, xorta se jibqgħu esposti għal ammont konsiderevoli ta’ storbju fil-ħin li l-barriera tkun qed topera, u kontinwament mit-trab li din tiġġenera.
L-iskola qegħda viċin ta’ din il-barriera, f’distanza żgħira biżżejjed biex t-trab li jixtered mill-barriera riżultat tal-effett tal-elementi jasal kemm sal-iskola kif ukoll saż-żona residenzjali fl-inħawi. Dan diġà qed jiġri bil-ħidma preżenti tal-barriera, u se jiżdied meta l-attività fil-barriera tintensifika riżultat tal-permess taħt konsiderazzjoni mill-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar.
Dan, żiedet tgħid Melissa Bagley, hu ta’ ħsara għal saħħithom. Ħsara riżultat ta’ tniġġis ambjentali. Konna nistennew li anke minħabba l-importanza li qed tingħata l-eko-skola fl-iskejjel tal-istat, id-Dipartiment tal-Edukazzjoni kien iktar lest li joħroġ għonqu għall-istudenti u l-għalliema. Imma sfortunatament, minkejja l-pożi kollha mal-għaqdiet ambjentali, jidher li d-Dipartiment tal-Edukazzjoni għad ma tgħallem xejn u s’issa baqa’ sieket.
Il-Perit Carmel Cacopardo, Deputat Chairperson ta’ ADPD qal li l-ġenerazzjoni tat-trab u l-istorbju huma l-impatti ewlenin li se jkomplu jiżdiedu fuq il-komunità tal-Imqabba. Dawn huma impatti ambjentali fuq is-saħħa. Jaffettwaw lil kulħadd, primarjament lil dawk vulnerabbli. Konna nistennew li d-Dipartiment tal-Gvern inkarigat mis-Saħħa Ambjentali jkun minn ta’ quddiem li jsemma’ leħnu. Iżda anke dan baqa’ sieket.
Fid-dawl ta’ dan kollu waħedha toħroġ il-mistoqsija: x’inhuma jagħmlu l-istituzzjonijiet? Għaliex mhux qed jiddefendu lir-residenti u lit-tfal tal-iskola? Il-ħarsien tas-saħħa tan-nies żgur li għandha tieħu prijorità fuq l-operat tal-barrieri. Imma sfortunatament dan mhux qed jirriżulta fl-ebda ħin.
Cacopardo żied jgħid li l-impatt tal-barrieri fuq ir-residenti mhix xi ħaġa ġdida fl-Imqabba. Dan imma mhux ġustifikazzjoni biex din is-sitwazzjoni tibqa’ mhux indirizzata, għax qiesu kulħadd issa imdorri. Minn fuq, b’din l-applikazzjoni s-sitwazzjoni se ssir ħafna agħar milli hi illum.
Diġà mhux aċċettabbli li s-sitwazzjoni attwali tibqa’ mhux indirzzata. Li l-problema tiżdied tagħmel is-sitwazzjoni waħda intollerabbli.
F’din is-sitwazzjoni li l-istituzzjonijiet jaġixxu hi essenzjali. Fl-iktar mument essenzjali, sfortunatament dawn l-istituzzjonijiet waqgħu fil-muta u abbandunaw lir-residenti. F’dawn iċ-ċirkustanzi l-aħħar pass hu d-deċiżjoni li trid tieħu l-Awtorità tal-Ippjanar. Aħna nittamaw li fl-aħħar l-Awtorità tiftaħ ftit għajnejha sew u tindirizza l-ħsara kbira li qed ikun propost li issir, temm jgħid Cacopardo.
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Mqabba’s children and residents: victims of dysfunctional institutions
The quarries around Mqabba did not materialise overnight. Whilst it makes sense for exhausted quarries to be rehabilitated to be used for the use of construction waste, this must be carried out without any additional inconvenience to residents. The plans for the future of Quarry number 48 in Valletta Road, Lane 2, Mqabba do not give sufficient analysis on the impact of its planned activities on the people in the locality. Mqabba is clearly a victim of dysfunctional institutions, said speakers for ADPD – The Green Party during a press conference in front of the Mqabba Primary School.
The Department of Education has not shown any concern either regarding the interests of the children and staff of the Mqabba Primary school, said Dr Melissa Bagley, Deputy Chairperson and ADPD-The Green Party candidate for the 5th district, which also includes Mqabba. Despite the proposed mitigation measures, they will still be exposed to considerable amounts of noise during operation hours, as well as to the dust being generated continuously. The school is near the quarry, close enough for the dust from the quarry to have an impact on the school as well as the residential area in the zone. This is already the case with the current operations in the quarry, and it will increase when the operations in the quarry are given the go-ahead to intensify by the Planning Authority. This, added Bagley, is of great harm to their health, and of great environmental harm as well. We expected more from the Department of Education. We have a situation whereby significant importance is given to the eko-skola activities in school, yet the Department is not ready to put that into action by protecting its students and staff. Unfortunately, despite all the posing with environmental groups, it appears that the Department of Education has learnt nothing and has so far remained silent.
Architect Carmel Cacopardo, Deputy Chairperson of ADPD-The Green Party, said that the generation of dust and noise are the primary issues that the residents of Mqabba experience, and these are expected to increase. These have significant impacts on health. This pollution will affect everyone, primarily the vulnerable. We would have expected that the government department responsible for environmental health would have been on the forefront of this.
In the light of all this, one question emerges: what are the institutions doing? Why are they not defending the residents, school children and staff? Protecting the health of the residents should take priority over quarry operations. Unfortunately, this is not happening. Cacopardo added that the impact that the quarry is having on the residents is not a new thing in Mqabba. However, this does not justify the current situation, implying that the residents are now accustomed to these things. To add insult to injury, this application will exacerbate this situation. It is already unacceptable that the current situation is not being addressed, let alone allowing it to become intolerable.
In such situations it is essential that institutions react to such threats. However, in such a critical moment, these institutions have remained silent and have abandoned the residents. In these circumstances, the last step is the decision to be taken by the Planning Authority. We hope that the Planning Authority will finally open their eyes and address the serious damage that is being proposed, concluded Cacopardo.
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Aktar informazzjoni / read more about this story: https://adpd.mt/theddida-ghas-sahha-pubblika-tar-residenti-u-tat-tfal-tal-primarja-tal-imqabba/
