Sewage pipes wreck havoc in Ghajn Zejtuna killing off fresh water crab colony

The report denounces that several properties have effectively extended their boundaries directly into the valley area and some have gone so far as to modify the bed of the valley by shifting the water course to extend their area or by pouring concrete directly
onto the riverbed.

The most blatant abuse denounced in the report involved the installation of sewage pipes directly over the riverbed. As a result of excavations by heavy machinery the riverbed of this part of the valley has been virtually destroyed and converted into a concrete culvert.

“The impact of this inexcusable action on the dynamics of the valley is glaring, grievous, and scandalous and infringes every environmental tenet and every principle of sustainability avowedly exhorted in the Structure Plan for the Maltese Islands,” the
report states.

This development is resulting in severe damage on both the surrounding areas because storm water is no longer able to seep harmlessly into the riverbed. Instead, storm water is rushing downstream in aggressive torrents which could erode banks on the riverbed further downstream.

Even mature trees could be uprooted and caused to topple over. Damage to the sewage pipes could create havoc as raw sewage starts to flow down the valley into the other, as yet untouched, areas of
the riverbed.

The report also expressed concern about the future of the fresh water crab, which is known to inhabit the valley. The Sciberras brothers express concern that, due to the various modifications of the valley, storm water is rushing down the riverbed towards
the sea much more aggressively, carrying with it a great deal of debris, including loose stones.

This could actually crush these crustaceans and it might even wash away their burrows altogether, destroying their habitat. The authors speculate that, in this manner, their population is being periodically decimated, preventing them from establishing a thriving colony.

It was only in January 2008 that an adult specimen was observed under one of the bridges that connects Triq Ghajn Zejtuna with Triq il- Qasab.

In May 2008, five specimens were observed in the vicinity and in January 2009 seven specimens were observed again. In May 2009, another specimen was located further upstream in the valley.

The authors believe that this species is rare on site, but it could well be overlooked –or rarely identified – because the local population has chosen to establish burrows in inaccessible areas. MEPA has recently confirmed its decision to designate
the Ghajn Zejtuna water as an area of ecological importance, thus prohibiting any development apart from the maintenance of existing structures.