Residents, farmers and Moviment Graffitti activists are in their fourth day of direct action in Dingli in order to stop the destruction being done by Infrastructure Malta without any valid reason.

Therefore, as we have been requesting throughout this week, we are asking for a meeting with Minister Ian Borg and with Engineer Frederick Azzopardi so that a solution will be found to this situation which is not much of a feather in the cap of the authorities. To this end, we are proposing a meeting to be held in the premises of the Salesian Brothers in Dingli, so that we will be able to sit around a table and engage in constructive dialogue.

We are also requesting that Dr Borg and Mr Azzopardi show us the official plans for this road, because until now we do not know exactly what is being planned and how much ODZ land is going to be lost. We also request to be given a public guarantee that no other tree will be touched and for them to explain clearly why this road is being constructed. Apart from this, it is evident, also from the statements of third parties, that there are issues about land owned by farmers which have not yet started to be discussed.

We would like to remind the public that our action is a reaction to the way that Borg, Azzopardi and the people who fall under their charge behaved, as well as to how certain people in authority acted. The residents, farmers and activists are here because they had no other choice, after the EPRT heard our appeal and abstained from taking a decision, another indication of how the planning process is a process which we cannot win because different government entities support each other and protect each other’s interests as well as the interests of large projects instead of taking decisions in an honest and transparent manner.

We are here because Infrastructure Malta is abusing its power; it is ready to literally trample on everyone with its machinery, on private land belonging to farmers, on the lives of residents, on citizens and activists who are trying to understand what is actually going on.

Throughout these months we tried to ask why this road is being constructed, why the residents, the farmers and the owners of the land were not informed of the works that were going to be carried out, why certain policies were being breached but we were only faced with arrogance, silence and lame excuses. Because no official plans exist, we do not know whether the road is being constructed according to the local plan, although so far it seems that it is not, because it is extending over ODZ land. We would like to remind Infrastructure Malta that if the road spills over ODZ land, a permit is required by law.

Over 200 Dingli residents have signed a petition against this road which has caused so much damage and concern, and we feel that the people who are responsible for this are obliged to meet the demands of these Dingli residents.

We would like to draw the attention of Minister Borg not to continue disseminating misinformation on the media. Earlier today he said that the residents of Sqaq il-Mużew and Daħlet is-Sienja are in favour of this road on farmland, but this is not true, to the extent that the residents expressed their anger at this statement. If the Minister believes in dialogue, he should refrain from using his constituents for mudslinging purposes and to cover his own interests. 

Residenti, bdiewa u attivisti ta’ Moviment Graffitti jinsabu fir-raba’ jum ta’ azzjoni diretta f’Ħad-Dingli sabiex iwaqqfu l-isfreġju li qed isir mill-IM bla ebda raġuna valida.

Għaldaqstant, kif tlabna tul din il-ġimgħa, qed nitolbu laqgħa mal-Ministru Ian Borg u mal-Inġinier Frederick Azzopardi sabiex tinstab soluzzjoni għal din is-sitwazzjoni li xejn ma tagħmel unur lill-awtoritajiet. Għal dan l-għan, qed nipproponu li ssir laqgħa fil-bini tas-Sależjani f’Ħad Dingli stess, sabiex niddiskutu madwar mejda, fi spirtu ta’ djalogu.

Qed nitolbu wkoll li Dr Borg u Ing Azzopardi juruna l-pjanti uffiċjali tat-triq, għax s’issa għadna ma nafux eżatt x’inhu previst u kemm se tintilef art ODZ. Irridu wkoll garanzija pubblika li ebda siġra oħra m’hu se tintmiss, u li jispjegaw ċar u tond għalfejn din it-triq qegħda ssir. Barra minn hekk, jirriżulta anke minn stqarrijiet ta’ terzi, li hemm kwistjonijiet dwar artijiet tal-bdiewa li għadhom ma bdewx jiġu diskussi

Infakkru li l-azzjoni tagħna ġejja minħabba l-mod kif ġabu ruħhom Borg, Azzopardi u n-nies li jaqgħu taħt it-tmexxija tagħhom, kif ukoll minħabba l-mod kif imxew ċertu awtoritajiet.

Ir-residenti, bdiewa u attivisti jinsabu hawn għax ma kellhomx għażla oħra, wara li l-EPRT semgħet l-appell tagħna u astjeniet milli tieħu deċiżjoni, indikazzjoni oħra ta’ kif il-proċess tal-ipjannar huwa proċess li ma tistax tirbħu għaliex l-entitajiet tal-gvern jagħmlu tajjeb għal xulxin biex jipproteġu l-interessi kbar minflok jieħdu deċiżjonijiet b’mod onest u trasparenti.

Qegħdin hawn għaliex l-Infrastructure Malta qed tabbuża mill-poter tagħha, lesta biex tgħaddi litteralment b’gaffa minn fuq kulħadd, fuq art privata tal-bdiewa f’ODZ, fuq ħajjet ir-residenti, fuq ċittadini u attivisti li qed jippruvaw jifhmu x’inhu jiġri.

Matul dawn ix-xhur ppruvajna nsaqsu għalfejn qed issir din it-triq, għala r-residenti, il-bdiewa u s-sidien tal-art ma ġewx infurmati bix-xogħlijiet li kienu se jsiru, għala ma kinux qed jiġu mħarsa ċertu policies, imma ġejna milqugħa b’arroganza, skiet u skużi. Minħabba li ma jezistux pjanti uffiċjali, ma nafux jekk it-triq hijiex skont il-pjan lokali, għalkemm s’issa jidher li filfatt mhijiex għax qed toħroġ fuq art ODZ. Infakkru lil Infrastructure Malta li hemm bżonn ta’ permess jekk it-triq tgħaddi fuq ODZ.

Il fuq minn 200 resident minn Ħad-Dingli iffirmaw petitzzjoni kontra din it-triq li ġabet tant ħsara u inkwiet, u nħossu li n-nies responsabbli għal dan għandhom obbligu lid-Dinglin sabiex jilqgħu it-talbiet tagħhom.

Niġbdu l-attenzjoni wkoll tal-Ministru Borg sakemm ma jibqax ixerred miżinformazzjoni fil-midja. Iżjed kmieni llum qal li r-residenti ta’ Sqaq Il-Mużew u Daħlet is-Sienja jaqblu ma’ din it-triq fir-raba’, iżda dan mhuwiex minnu, tant li residenti wrew l-għadab tagħhom għal din l-istqarrija. Jekk il-Ministru jemmen fid-djalogu, għandu joqgħod lura milli juża lill-kostitwenti tiegħu sabiex iwaddab it-tajn u jaħbi l-interessi tiegħu.