Littered streets have become the order of the day in the St Paul’s Bay-Qawra area as several photos and video clips sent to Times of Malta by irate residents attest.

Garbage bags and cardboard boxes of all sizes brimming with waste are piling up in street corners and all sorts of litter, including glass and plastic bottles and cans, are being strewn along pavements. Bulky refuse items, such as old sofas, are also being dumped on the streets.  

“Is this how we are expected to live?” a resident of Triq it-Tamar, Qawra, asked.

“The area has gone into disarray after the elections and it is no longer safe for me to take out my one-year-old daughter. As you can see, there are rats the size of cats around,” another furious resident pointed out.

Resident Maria Cassar sent in a video of the filth that surrounded her as she strolled through Triq it-Turisti, Triq l-Imsell, Triq Mazzola and Triq Halel. 

"Walking down the street has become disgusting," she said. "Permanent residents are becoming increasingly irritated by this". 

Members of the Facebook page Proud to Live in St Paul’s Bay have been venting their anger online, sharing images of rats scampering up and down Triq il-Port Ruman in Qawra, among other areas.

Besides, Times of Malta received photos of a field at the end of Triq J. Quintinus, also in Qawra, which is acting as a scrapyard for abandoned vehicles.

“The situation has become unbearable,” a frustrated resident of the street noted. 

“There are at least nine abandoned cars. They have been there for ages. I have reported this to Transport Malta and the local council with no effect so far. All this mess is right next to the newly-built primary school.”

'We're doing our best' - mayor

When contacted, outgoing PN mayor Anne Fenech said she was fully aware of the appalling situation and that the council has been trying to tackle the problem for months.

“We’re doing our best but some of the residents here are not cooperating,” Ms Fenech told the paper. 

“Some people still take out their garbage at night while others do so after the rubbish has been collected.”

It is no longer safe for me to take out my one-year-old daughter... there are rats the size of cats around

Since the black and organic bags are collected three times a week, in line with the new recycling scheme launched last year, rubbish that is not taken out on time is not collected for at least two days.

The local council urged residents to make an effort to comply with the recycling scheme and called for more effective enforcement. Meanwhile, the council is in talks to have the rubbish collected more often.

As regards the Qawra ‘scrapyard’, Ms Fenech said that Transport Malta and the police currently do not have any alternative space for the cars abandoned there. An e-mail sent to Transport Malta regarding this issue has not been answered by the time of writing. 

A makeshift scrapyard in Triq J. Quintinus, Qawra.

The waste problem in St Paul’s Bay has already been highlighted by the Times of Malta in recent months. Footage of a woman throwing garbage bags on to the street from a fourth-floor balcony, uploaded online in May, went viral. The woman was eventually identified and fined by enforcement officers from the Environment and Resources Authority.

Under the new recycling scheme, individuals who break garbage collection rules can be subjected to fines of between €150 and €500.