The final phase of a €570,000 project to embellish Wied il-Mielaħ is currently being carried out by the Gharb council.

85 per cent of the project is being financed by the EU and the government will be financing part of the remainder with the council forking out the rest.

The project has been ongoing for a number of years and the final phase is focusing on the creation and repair of countryside tracks to make the valley accessible.

The sea beneath the Azure Window is becoming accessible to divers through the repair of steps leading to the sea and a platform. Security camera which are operational through alternative energy are also being put up.

A new website will be promoting trekking tourism.

Through the project, the council will be focusing on sustainable tourism which safeguarded the ecology and environment of the area.

The works were this morning visited by Councils Parliamentary Secretary Chris Said and Gharb mayor David Apap.

Dr Said praised the council’s initiative which he said would make Gharb more competitive as a rural tourism destination. The project was also making Gharb a pioneer in the government’s vision of transforming Gozo into an ecological island.