Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar yesterday expressed concern over plans to remove some 38 trees from Senglea waterfront.
While the NGO said it supported the need to embellish the oft-forgotten historical gems of Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa, it pointed out that these trees are 56 years old, among the oldest trees left in Senglea.
Although a spokesman for the Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation claimed the planned uprooting of the Ficus Nitida trees was due to the fact that their aggressive root system may damage the new landscaping, a Water Services Corporation survey revealed the roots were not causing damage beneath the waterfront.
“The beautiful mature trees to be felled have survived sea water, strong winds and sea spray for over 50 years, conditions that may have killed other trees, without causing any damage to either the infrastructure or the paving,” FAA said.
The NGO said it could not understand how such trees were going to be replaced with Melia Azarach trees, “an aggressively invasive, non-indigenous tree producing toxic fruit that creates slippery pavements when it falls to the ground”.