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Updated | Heavy rains paralyse morning commutes
Drivers fumed in their vehicles and pedestrians braved the rain this morning as a sudden intense downpour paralysed Maltese roads across the island – known for their shortcomings when coping with large volumes of rainwater runoff.
1 February 2011, 12:00am
Nestor Laiviera
Nestor Laiviera
1 min read
The downpour, having kicked off with full strength at roughly
Among the worst- affect areas are Qormi, St Venera, Birkirara, Naxxar, San Gwann, Marsa.
The Civil Protection Department urged motorists to avoid low lying flood-prone areas such as Birkirkara, Marsa and Qormi - locations notorious for the volumes of rainwater runoff that tends to collect there.
Despite how numerous cars stalled in the deep rainwater pools could be glimpsed stranded by the roadsides, no serious incidents have so far been announced. Ambulances and fire-engines were however reported around the island earlier this morning.
Last October, a thunderstorm caused widespread damages and flooding. Many saw the lighter side however, as an internet video surfaced online of a runaway coffin speeding down a rainwater runoff waterway.
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Smart Malta they say. Half an hour of rain and the country is paralyzed and sewage odour throughout Malta particularly Birkirkara and Msida. Smart Malta my A**.
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i couldent belive the smell that was coming down the road from lija to birkikara this morning i had to pop in the bov bank near smart and it smelt like stink bombs the water again was like a river of s..t hara well why the f..k did we join the eu it for situations like this maybe its the maltese prime minister pride come on just to remind everyone that eu is there to help thrid world countries to fix these situations the way europe the euro is going brussels bank is the bank that likes to say YA ITS POSH I sugust you do like i did when i got home to sliema was give my car i hosepipe wash to get the shit of it thanks for the council i will send you a bill for my carpets in the car sighed not a happy bunny
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Remember a roads minister notorious for his one finger salute to journalists and who could see apartments from different angles with different number of floors?
Well he was the one who boasted that the Msida problem was solved with the monstours eyesore we have to navigate day in day out.
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God forbid if we had to have monsoons.
Monique Cauchi •
Has anyone ever worked out just how much this 'problem rain' could be worth to the country if it was collected rather than allowing it to run into the sea? When you think of the 100 Million Euros being spent on the City Gate project which most of the country are against anyway it's crazy that all this good water is allowed to go to waste and then the country spends a fortune on reverse osmosis!
Alfred Galea •
And here I am worried about the 20 inches of snow heading our way when all I should be worried about is a few millimetres of water.
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This ridiculous situation begs some simple questions: who is responsible for road building ?. Are our road engineers and architects being properly prepared for road construction ?. The British used to give a camber to the roads . Flat roads are an invitation to flooding. Can't those concerned please find a solution to this perennial quandary ?.If not, welcome to foreign competent architects and engineers !!.
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Our esteemed cabinet, instead of adding to their coffers (600/500/or 367euros a week), should have invested their payrises in doing something to avoid the annual flooding in vulnerable places!!!
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I Remember the PN in 1981 and again in 1987 guaranteed that the roads of Malta would be the pride of the country together with Malta flowering all over. Well no wonder they want a €600 raise to keep up the good job they have been doing throughout 30 years of power
