Żebbuġ local council has called on Infrastructure Malta to stop works on a  country road at Wied Qirda because they threaten the ecology of this rural area.

The call was made in the wake of an accident a few days ago when a truck laden with asphalt toppled into the valley after part of the road caved in.

The council said that following reports by residents and a request by Infrastructure Malta itself, the Environment Resources Authority had issued an emergency permit for the removal of the asphalt from the valley.

The council insisted that in order to respect the rural characteristics of its surroundings, the road should not be widened or surfaced with asphalt. Instead, the road should be surfaced with another material which would allow access to vehicles without endangering the ecology of the valley. 

The accident happened after part of this rural road caved in with the weight of the truck. Photo: Steve Zammit Lupi

Independent Żebbuġ councillor Steve Zammit Lupi described the project by Infrastructure Malta as an “environmental rape” of Wied Qirda.  He claimed that the works were carried out without a development permit and that in certain areas the width of the road had trebled with complete disregard to the flora and fauna of the area.

Though Wied Qirda has been left neglected for years, what happened during the last week threw further salt in the wound- Steve Zammit Lupi

“Although Wied Qirda has been left neglected for years, what happened during the last week rubbed salt in the wound,” the councillor remarked.

"Let us not give the impression that this is being done to improve access for farmers in a bid to justify this unnecessary environmental disaster," he said

In recent months the agency made headlines for the wrong reasons, after being slapped with a stop notice by ERA for widening rural roads beyond their existing footprint during resurfacing works.