The Planning Authority on Thursday resumed action to ensure that large quantities of illegally dumped material on land between Mdina and Mtarfa is removed.

This follows the direct action which had commenced in January but which had been stopped through a warrant of prohibitory injunction against the PA.

Up until the action was stopped by the court, the PA had moved in to remove truckloads of dumped material which were carted away to licensed waste management sites, whereas soil was transported offsite to replenish existing agricultural land, the authority said on Thursday.

It added that after withdrawing the warrant of prohibitory injunction, the contravener committed, among other issues, to the full reinstatement of the affected land and the payment of pending daily fines tied to the enforcement notices issued on the site.

The removal of the illegally dumped material and reinstatement of the site is being carried out by the contravener under the supervision of the PA.

The costs of the operation will be shouldered by the contravenor, the PA said.