The haunting of Birżebbuġa

Here we go again. The bow and arrow are once more aimed at the southern town of Birżebbuġa. It now seems that this town is doomed for extinction. In fact, the extension of the Freeport is in the pipeline and works will soon commence. This exercise is set to make the life of the Birżebbuġa residents a little more miserable than it already is. With all the numerous environmental and health-related problems haunting their daily lives due to the heavy industry that choked their township, no wonder these people are strongly objecting to the next big project, which has just been approved by Mepa.

To be quite honest, this is not such an easy issue to write about. Although I am presently living in Sliema, a small haven by the sea, which, nonetheless, is also facing a number of issues, although not exactly on the same scale as those being experienced by the southern town, I still feel emotionally attached to the town of Birżebbuġa and, therefore, want to express my resentment towards this matter. After all, it was this southern-most town which made me the man I am today.

Back in the days when I used to have a full head of golden-brown hair and a super tanned skin, Birżebbuġa was the talk of the town, the in-place to be and had the same potential Sliema enjoys today.

But history is what it is and, as much as my chances of feeling again the same pleasures of passing my fingers through my golden-brown hair are very slim, the same chances apply for Birżebbuġa not to walk the cruel and hazardous path of an industrial torment. But wait! Is there really nothing that can be done to save Birżebbuġa from its ill fortune? Are all the cries of the people there meant to fade away with the passing of seasons?

The two questions I would like to ask at this point are: 1) How much time do the people of Birżebbuġa need to decide to stand up and say: Enough? and 2) How long are the people there ready to take and remain divided on an issue affecting negatively their own lives and that of their children?

Some might argue that not all the people look at the same problem in the same manner. Yes, that might be true if you look at it from "a distance". The truth is that there are many forms of contamination, which cannot be seen with the naked eye. These types can be much more harmful to the physiology of a human being than the physical structures that can be seen and touched.

How about mentioning the distressing noise produced daily by the Freeport machinery for starters? And while at it, let's mention also the dust particles that will be airborne when the works on the new terminal construction commence. Just picture yourselves for a moment living in Birżebbuġa, irrelevant which part of town it is. On one side, you are adorned with the monstrous iron structure of the Freeport and on the other a "repulsive" power station site in Delimara which, by the way, is producing tons of fumes and harmful waste each day.

If it's statistics you're after then I can accommodate you as well. In Malta, between 17 and 20 per cent of people suffer from respiratory diseases and lung-related cancers each year. So you can sum up how much more are the residents of Birżebbuġa at risk given all that industry right at their doorstep. And let me remind everyone that this is happening on a daily basis. There are no breaks, no weekends and no public holidays.

On top of that we need to add the catastrophic impact of the dredging works in the bay area, an area with a poor seawater quality but which is still used by many families and their children as their preferred bathing spot during the hot summer months. I would also like to point out that these people face a higher risk of catching some form of pollutant-related disease.

Does all this seem right to you? What are the competent authorities doing about such a delicate subject?

Another factor "worth" noting is the value of the properties directly adjacent to the Freeport construction site. How can one explain to these people that their property is now worth close to zilch?

But that is not all, you know. The haunting of Birżebbuġa is being kept very much alive by the creepy appearance of a once glorious waterpolo pitch, an infamous premises indeed. Promises of a new modern sports complex came and went and with them the hope of hundreds of people who love this popular summer game. I invite the public to visit what's left of this place next time they happen to be in Birżebbuġa so they can witness with their own eyes the pitiful state this waterpolo pitch is in.

My message to the authorities is to invest in a number of leisure and environmentally-friendly projects in Birżebbuġa. For sure, that won't be wasted money, plus it will give back the deserved dignity to its residents. So let us see some serious commitment and try to heal the open wounds that are slowly dragging Birżebbuġa and its residents into an iron coffin. Birżebbuġa's reputation as a once vibrant summer resort is today just a distant memory.