During a press conference today outside the Coca-Cola factory on the use of public natural resources, Alternattiva Demokratika’s Chairperson, Prof. Arnold Cassola, said: “Water is scarce and extremely precious in Malta. Malta is the tenth driest country in the world when it comes to water resources pro-capita. The driest 9 countries in the world are all countries that include a desert within their confines. Indeed, Malta is the driest country in the world which does not incorporate desert land. As things stand at present, in our country we are extracting about double the amount of water from the water table than that replenished through rainfall. If we continue at this rate our country risks becoming totally dry within the next two decades or so.”
Carmel Cacopardo, AD Deputy Chairperson and Spokesperson on Sustainable Development, stated: “It is essential that ground water is protected. It has been ignored for ages both due to over-extraction of water as well as a result of its being contaminated through pesticides, artificial fertilisers and farm sewage.”
“This press conference is being addressed next to a factory which is known to utilise ground water for 40% of its requirements. This is not acceptable and has to cease forthwith.”
“It is essential that decisions are rolled out the earliest because further delay will leave us in a situation where we have nothing left to protect.
Amongst the urgent decisions required are the need to better regulate the extraction of ground water including that industry is not permitted to make direct use of this resource neither against payment and much less without.
It is positive that amongst the decisions already taken is that about the reuse of treated sewage effluent (TSE). Calls for tender have already been issued and we hope that the necessary changes are carried out at the earliest. The use of TSE will necessarily lead to a reduction of use of water coming from other sources, including ground water.
“It is also essential that that the conclusions of the pilot project to recharge the aquifer through using TSE are made public so that an informed public debate of the matter is carried out.
“A long term agricultural plan which considers the water requirements of this strategic activity is essential. Such an agricultural plan should also address the need to reduce the use of pesticides and artificial fertilisers. Farmers requires professional assistance to address this matter which should seek not only the reduction of use of pesticides and artificial fertilisers but also the protection of soiled and ground water. We should remember that the contamination of ground water follows a 40 year cycle. That means it will take some time for benefits of present day decisions to be felt. It is thus more important to act at the soonest.“
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Waqt konferenza stampa llum fuq l-użu ta’ riżorsi pubbliċi naturali barra l-fabbrika tal-Coca-Cola, iċ-chairperson ta’ Alternattiva Demokratika, Prof.Arnold Cassola, qal: “L-ilma f’Malta hu kemm skars kif ukoll prezzjuż. Malta hi l-għaxar pajjiz l-iktar nieqes mill-ilma fid-dinja meta wieħed iqis ir-rizorsi tal-ilma għal kull persuna. Id-9 pajjiżi li għandhom nuqqas ta’ ilma iktar minna huma kollha pajjiżi li għandhom deżert fil-konfini tagħhom. Tabilħaqq Malta hi l-iktar pajjiż nieqes mill-ilma fost dawk li m’ghħndhomx deżert. Preżentement f’pajjiżna qed nieħdu mill-ilma tal-pjan id-doppju tal-ilma li tipprovdi n-natura permess tax-xita. Jekk nibqgħu sejrin hekk fi żmien qasir in-nixfa f’dan il-pajjiz ser tkun waħda totali.”
Carmel Cacopardo, Deputat Chairperson ta’ AD u kelliemi għall-Iżvilupp Sostenibbli, qal: “Hu neċessarju li nipproteġu l-ilma tal-pjan. Dan ilu traskurat snin twal. Kemm minħabba illi mill-pjan tul is-snin ġie mtella’ ħafna iktar ilma milli kienet qed tipprovdi n-natura kif ukoll bil-kontaminazzjoni minn pestiċidi, fertilizzanti artifiċjali u drenaġġ minn irziezet.”
“Qed nindirizzaw din il-konferenza stampa ħdejn din il-fabbrika minħabba li hu magħruf li parti mill-ilma meħtieg għall-produzzjoni tal-prodotti tagħha, 40%, hu ilma mtella’ mill-ilma tal-pjan. Dan m’huwiex accettabbli u għandu jieqaf l-iktar kmieni possibli.”
“Huwa essenzjali li jibdew jittieħdu d-deċizjonijiet għax jekk ser indumu nistennew iktar m’hu ser jibqa’ xejn x’nipproteġu.”
“Fost id-deċiżjonijiet urġenti li huma meħtiega hemm li jkun regolat aħjar l-ilma tal-pjan, inkluża d-deċiżjoni li l-industrija ma tibqax tagħmel użu dirett minn din ir-riżorsa prezzjuża, la bil-ħlas u wisq inqas bla ħlas.”
“Huwa tajjeb li fost id-deċiżjonijiet li diġa ittiehdu hemm li jkun użat l-ilma tad-drenaġġ ippurifikat. Is-sejħiet għall-offerti hu magħruf li diġa harġu u nittamaw illi it-tibdil neċessarju jsir fl-iqsar żmien possibli u dan billi l-użu tal-ilma tad-drenaġġ ippurifikat inaqqqas il-piż fuq sorsi oħra ta’ ilma, inkluż l-ilma tal-pjan.”
“Huwa neċessarju ukoll li l-konklużjonijiet dwar il-proġett pilota biex possibilment l-ilma tad-drenaġġ ippurifikat jintuża biex jiġi rikarigat l-ilma tal-pjan isiru pubbliċi biex tkun tista’ issir diskussjoni pubblika infurmata dwar il-materja.”
“Huwa importanti wkoll li jsir pjan fit-tul għall-agrikultura li fih jiġi meqjus l-ilma meħtieg għal din l-attivita strateġikament importanti kif ukoll li l-bdiewa jkunu imħajjra biex bħala l-ewwel pass l-użu tal-pestiċidi u l-fertilizzanti artifiċjali jsir iktar bil-qies. Il-biedja għandha bżonn għajuna professjonali għal dan l-iskop biex filwaqt li innaqqsu l-użu tal-pestiċidi u l- fertilizzanti artifiċjali nipproteġu aħjar kemm ir-raba’ kif ukoll l-ilma tal-pjan. Inżommu quddiem għajnejna li l-impatt tal-kontaminazzjioni tal-ilma pjan idum jinħass għal madwar 40 sena. Jiġifieri l-azzjoni li nieħdu issa ser indumu ma naraw l-effett tagħha. Huwa għaldaqstant iktar importanti li nfittxu naġixxu.”
http://www.tvm.com.mt/news/ad-jekk-ma-jsir-xejn-finqas-minn-20-sena-l-ilma-tal-pjan-jispicca/