WATCH: Mature Balzan Tree Is Uprooted And It’s Not A Pretty Sight
Balzan residents awoke on Thursday morning to see two mature ficus trees being shorn with chainsaws barely a week after the plans were announced – but a video showing the trees being removed this morning hasn’t exactly engendered confidence in many who were critical of the project.
“Goodbye trees… I cry as the people present here from ELC snigger away at me,’ said Ghislaine Calleja, who uploaded the video to social media.
In the video, the tree is uprooted and dragged on the ground before being hoisted into the air again. The trees are destined to be replanted in a public garden between Triq Bosio and Triq l-Għerusija.
People could’t help but be underwhelmed by what they saw as the continuation of a short-sighted policy
The mayor of Balzan Ian Spiteri had previously said that a council-appointed expert had given the two trees a 95% chance of survival.
The removal of the trees is part of a government plan to redo the entire road at a cost of more than €1.5 million. The works will continue until September, and will feature up to 1.2 kilometres of new pavement.
Minister for Infrastructure Ian Borg announced this plan while calling the road “one of the worst roads in Malta”. He said that while the road is under the remit of the local council, the government had stepped in to help as the cost of the roadworks will come to about five times the annual budget of the council.