Material dumped in the middle of a heritage trail in Gozo continues to block a path, making it inaccessible to tourists and locals seven months after the authorities were alerted.

The heritage trail is promoted by Eco Gozo to showcase the natural and cultural assets of Xlendi and Munxar.

Work on rebuilding the rubble walls bordering the path started last year but progressed slowly, and the way was often blocked when a fresh load of stones was delivered, even though workmen tried to leave a passage through, residents told the Times of Malta.

The situation deteriorated considerably early last summer when, instead of stones suitable for building rubble walls, a load of material was delivered that seemed to be debris from the demolition of a house. The waste included tiles, concrete, electrical wiring and pipes.

Eyewitnesses said about three loads of such material were dumped on the path, making it difficult for people to use it for walks. Then, to make matters worse, the work on the walls stopped, despite signs saying EU funding had been obtained for the heritage trail.

Residents had every reason to be concerned about the state of the track

Residents wrote to Eco Gozo last November to complain about the situation. The reply, seen by this newspaper, acknowledged that the residents had “every reason to be concerned about the state of the track” and promised action.

While the pile of waste is not as big as it used to be, this was not the result of any action taken by the authorities, but rather by locals, who took some of the stones for personal use.

In June, the residents wrote to Eco Gozo again, complaining that no action had been taken.

A representative of Eco Gozo said they had informed the relevant department following the first complaint and could not explain why no action had been taken.

The situation remained un-changed two months later. The circular walk that makes up the heritage trail starts and ends at the village square of Munxar. It follows a number of village roads and the adjacent countryside along the port of Xlendi. The trail covers a distance of just under 6,500 metres.

Munxar is one of the smallest of Gozo’s villages. It lies to the south of the island, between the village of Ta’ Sannat and the suburb of Fontana, less than two kilometres from the centre of the capital city, Victoria.