Residents of a street once surrounded by fields in Swieqi are still battling a 30-year-old flooding problem, claiming works being done have not prevented the road from turning into a river every time it rains.

Garages and basements in Triq it-Tiben are constantly flooded but residents say their appeals for Infrastructure Malta to install water culverts have been unheeded.

One resident, Anna Grima, said they have been begging to have the problem solved for 30 years, as the once-rural area developed around them.

“The fields developed into houses and apartment blocks but all without giving any thought to the infrastructure.

Basements flood on a regular basis. Some of us have had to spend a lot of money to keep the water away,” she said.

“When roadworks started in July, we asked to have water culverts installed but have not received any positive reply yet.”

Infrastructure Malta told Times of Malta it was aware of the problem so it was cleaning and improving the existing storm-water catchments and culverts in the lower part of the street.

It was also introducing new road levels to direct surface runoff away from buildings, a spokesman said. 

Residents experiencing flooding should inform the agency as soon as possible so that it can incorporateimprovements in the ongoing reconstruction, he added.