Moviment Graffitti together with farmers and residents have stepped up their actions in Dingli by filing an appeal with the EPRT against an ERA decision to issue a permit for the uprooting of two mature trees, paving the way for Infrastructure Malta to build a new road on arable land in ODZ.
The proposed road will spell the death of two 300-year old carob trees, the livelihood of farmers who till the land in the area, and ruin the context if not structural integrity of a medieval chapel which, earlier this week, has been granted scheduling after a request by residents and activists.
In what has now become a familiar modus operandi, Infrastructure Malta personnel appeared onsite without warning a day after the permit was issued and started chopping trees in the area, before being halted yet again by residents and activists. ERA personnel arrived in Dingli to investigate, after which it emerged that IM didn’t inform ERA of its plan to commence works as indicated in permit conditions.
In view of this, farmers, residents and activists have moved to apply for the suspension of works, which have started illegally during the period in which the appeal may be filed, once again without any notification.
In their appeal, the appellants are contesting ERA’s unreasonable decision to grant this permit, and various breaches of numerous regulations including provisions of the Aarhus Convention and EU Directives. Moreover, contrary to what has been claimed by Infrastructure Malta, only part of the proposed road is schemed, with the rest being situated on ODZ land and thus necessitating a full development permission.
“We’ve never seen such urgency to build a road,” said a spokesperson for Moviment Graffitti. “Infrastructure Malta has tried to commence these roadworks twice already, twice without notice and twice in breach of existing policies. Minister Borg sent out a flyer to all Dingli trying to sell the road, knowing there’s widespread opposition to it. We can only wonder whether there are hidden agendas behind this unusual, unnecessary project.”
“We’ve stopped works twice, and we’ll do it again if we have to. We call on Minister Borg to protect his own constituents from the arrogant tactics employed by his own agency and its CEO, tactics we’ve seen used across the islands already. Otherwise, we’ll be forced to step up our own actions.”
______________________________________________________________
Il-Moviment Graffitti jappella kontra l-qlugħ tas-siġar f’Ħad Dingli:
Bdiewa, residenti u attivisti jingħaqdu kontra l-permess maħruġ mill-ERA
Il-Moviment Graffitti, flimkien ma’ bdiewa u residenti tal-lokal, intensifika l-azzjonijiet tiegħu f’Ħad Dingli billi ressaq appell quddiem l-EPRT fil-konfront ta’ deċiżjoni tal-ERA li ħarġet permess għall-qlugħ ta’ żewġ siġriet maturi, biex Infrastructure Malta tkun tista’ tibni triq fuq art agrikola f’ODZ.
It-triq kif proposta se twassal għall-qtil ta’ żewġ ħarrubiet li għandhom madwar 300 sena, thedded l-għajxien tal-bdiewa li jaħdmu l-art fiż-żona, u tirvina għal dejjem il-kuntest jekk mhux l-integrità strutturali ta’ kappella medjevali li iżjed kmieni din il-ġimgħa ġiet skedata fuq talba minn residenti u attivisti.
F’dak li issa sar modus operandi komuni, persunal ta’ Infrastructure Malta tfaċċa fuq il-post mingħajr ebda notifika l-għada li nħareġ il-permess u beda jqaċċat is-siġar fiż-żona, qabel ma twaqqaf għal darb’oħra minn residenti u attivisti. L-ERA bagħtet xi persunal tagħha f’Ħad Dingli sabiex jinvestiga l-każ, u ħareġ li Infrastructure Malta ma informatx lill-ERA bil-pjan tagħha li tibda x-xogħlijiet kif mitlub fil-kundizzjonijiet tal-permess.
Fid-dawl ta’ dan, bdiewa, residenti u attivisti applikaw għas-sospensjoni tax-xogħlijiet, li bdew illegalment fil-perjodu li fih seta’ jitressaq l-appell, u għal darb’oħra mingħajr ebda notifika.
Fl-appell qed tiġi kkontestata d-deċiżjoni mhux raġjonevoli tal-ERA fil-ħruġ ta’ dan il-permess, kif ukoll il-ksur ta’ bosta regolamenti fosthom dispożizzjonijiet tal-Konvenzjoni ta’ Aarhus u Direttivi tal-UE. Barra minn hekk, għall-kuntrarju ta’ dak li qalet Infrastructure Malta, parti biss mit-triq kif proposta tifforma parti mill-iskema, u peress li l-bqija tat-triq tinsab fuq art ODZ, din tirrikjedi permess sħiħ għall-iżvilupp.
“Għadna qatt ma rajna urġenza simili biex tinbena triq,” qal kelliem għall-Moviment Graffitti. “Infrastructure Malta ppruvat tibda dawn ix-xogħlijiet darbtejn diġà, id-darbtejn li huma mingħajr ebda notifika u d-darbtejn fi ksur ta’ policies eżistenti. Il-Ministru Borg qassam fuljett ma’ Ħad Dingli kollu biex ibigħ din it-triq, konxju mill-fatt li hemm oppożizzjoni qawwija għall-proġett. Nistgħu biss nistaqsu jekk hemmx aġendi moħbija wara dan il-proġett mhux tas-soltu u li mhuwiex meħtieġ.”
“Waqqafna x-xogħlijiet darbtejn u jekk hemm bżonn, nerġgħu nwaqqfuhom. Inwasslu t-talba tagħna lill-Ministru Borg sabiex jipproteġi lill-kostitwenti tiegħu mit-tattiki arroganti li qed jintużaw mill-aġenzija tiegħu stess u mis-CEO tagħha, u li rajna bħalhom f’partijiet differenti ta’ Malta. Jekk le, ser ikollna nintensifikaw iżjed l-azzjonijiet tag
