Updated | €56 million storm relief project underway - ministry
Msida mayor Clifton Grima calls on government to provide financial assistance to councils to deal with flood damages.
Updated with reaction from resources ministry.
Local councils do not have the necessary financial means to maintain roads and prevent damages caused by storms, the Msida mayor Clifton Grima said.
Grima addressed a press conference in Msida, as the locality was coming to terms with the damage caused by a violent storm, which hit the Maltese islands. The mayor stood in front of two cars piled upon each other after being by rainwater.
Over the past 24 hours the Maltese islands were hit by thunderstorms with heavy rainfall, during which 42.4mm of rainfall were measured at Malta Airport Met Office in Luqa, while the peek wind gust reached 48 knots.
A clearance operation is underway in major roads, after a torrential downpour flooded roads. The worst affected areas were the Birkirkara By-Pass, Valley Road Birkirkara, Iklin, Msida and Pieta'.
The Msida mayor said government should allocate more funds to flood-prone localities such as Msida. Grima, flanked by Labour MP Stefan Buontempo and Msida councillor, Emmanuel Abela called on the government to help local councils such as the ones in Msida, Gzira and Birkirkara, which suffered the brunt of the storm.
"This should be an eye-opener to central government and start providing greater assistance to local councils in their efforts to maintain secondary roads, which fall under the councils' responsibility," Grima said.
"Heavy rainfall cause vast damage with several houses and streets ending up flooded and filled with debris," he added.
On a positive note, Grima praised the authorities, which reacted immediately and were on site clearing up the debris in Msida. During the storm, billboards were toppled over, pavements were damaged, trees and poles were uprooted and rocks and other debris carried by the water were visible in the Msida area.
The Msida mayor noted that cleaning up and maintaining two reservoirs on either side of Valley Road could prevent flooding. "This will not resolve the problem, because it is hard to contain such huge amounts of water but it will definitely help."
On his part, Labour MP Stefan Buontempo said he was present to express solidarity with the Labour-led council and the Msida residents. While praising the efforts of the Civil Protection Department and other authorities, Buontempo hit out at the government for its procrastination in implementing the flood relief and water management projects.
"Local councils need more financial assistance as they cannot cope with the expensive maintenance of roads and water culverts. However, the residents are also suffering the consequences of the government's inaction on the water management projects which have been in the pipeline since 2003," the Labour MP said.
As the press conference went on, the bemused owner of one of the piled up cars behind the mayor showed up, expressing his surprise on finding his car piled upon another, over a hundred metres away from where he parked the car last night.
In a reaction, the resources and rural affairs minister George Pullicino said the Msida local council was already aware of the project for flood relief that was unveiled at the council's offices.
"The mayor is taking political mileage out of the storm, instead of taking an interest in the project. After all permits were issued and tenders published, the process to commence the project is actually underway.
"Contracts have been awarded and preliminary studies undertaken. The chosen contractor will be preparing geophysical studies, construction management plans, and a traffic management plan for the area."
Pullicino also said excavation work has already started in the first tunnel linking Attard to Birkirkara, as part of the first phase of works before tackling the Msida area.
The works form part of a storm relief project that affects Birkirkara, Msida, Balzan, Gzira, Marsasca;a, Zabbar, Zebbug, Qormi and Marsa. In Gzira, a 10,000 cubic metre reservoir will collect run-off water.
The €56 million project is co-financed by the EU and will be ready within two years.