Għaxaq Residents Organise Clean-Up Of Neglected Wied Ix-Xagħra
Residents of Ħal Għaxaq are “done sitting around and waiting for someone to take action”. They are taking matters into their own hands and organising a clean-up in Wied ix-Xagħra which, according to them, is “tremendously neglected”. The clean-up will take place tomorrow at 9.30 am.
“The residents are very angry with the current state of the valley,” clean-up organiser Angelico said, adding that it is for this very reason that they will be going down to the valley and cleaning it up themselves.
When asked why these residents are taking it upon themselves to do the work that others are supposed to be doing, Angelico replied, “We are trying to instil a local conscience within our community. If you feel like you are part of something greater than yourself, it pushes you to take action”.
“The residents had been pushing for action for a while, and when we were finally fed up and decided to take matters into our own hands, it was then that something was done. In fact, as soon as we officially announced the clean-up, the Local Council immediately sent the cleaning department to clear up some construction waste that had been lying around the valley,” Angelico remarked.
“However, a lot of waste still remains lying around and so the clean-up is still very necessary,” he continued, adding that “anyone is free to participate in the collective effort”.
He went on to say that ultimately, “the message is this – the residents’ voice matters… we are not happy and the authorities should take action”.
“That being said,” Angelico told the newsroom, “the Local Council are now offering a helping hand. They will be providing some necessary tools for the clean-up process, such as a skip, gloves, and dustbins”.
A Facebook event announcing the clean-up was created on 17th January. Some days later, Ħal Għaxaq councillor Twanny Vella took to Facebook to post some concerning photos of the valley and back the “angry” residents of his locality.
“Those who have been voicing out their anger at the current state of the valley were right in doing so,” he wrote, adding that “adequate bins need to be placed so that people can dump waste in there,” and not on the valley floor.
“The bramble shrubs surrounding the trees need to be cleaned up, the trees need to be pruned, and a clean-up needs to be set up in order to remove the waste, charcoal, burnt branches, and large rocks which can be found lying around the valley”.
He went on to say that “if needs be, the valley is opened to the public only for certain hours, as is the case with parks that are situated in other localities”.
Vella also stressed the need for “security cameras” to be placed within the area, as well as the importance of regular patrols by local police and ERA officers.
He added that the Local Council will be present at the residents’ clean-up and will be lending a hand also when it comes to cleaning up tools, as confirmed by resident Angelico.
What do you make of the residents’ initiative?
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