Watch: Polluted Rainwater Gushes Into Buġibba Sea Endangering Marine Life
With Malta reaching sweltering temperatures this summer, most people welcomed the recent downpour. But rainwater mixed with water and pollutants gushing through stormwater channels into the sea is endangering marine life and harming the environment.
Footage sent to Lovin Malta shows how dirty rainwater gushing through a water culvert into the sea by Bugibba on 10th August turned the seawater a murky brown, spreading all over the swimming zone.
Speaking to the newsroom, the Environment Resources Authority confirmed the environmental consequences of the flood.
“The footage shows rainwater which made its way from nearby streets to the sea through the existing stormwater catchments. This caused waste and other pollutants from the streets to end up in the sea, endangering marine life and harming the environment,” a spokesperson said.
“One of the main issues is the single-use plastics that are dragged into the sea, together with other litter.”
“In this regard, ERA has already taken action to curb single-use plastics and, together with other entities, engages in public awareness campaigns to encourage citizens against littering.”
“As such scenes show, actions such as illegally disposing of waste not only litter our streets but are also harmful to the environment around us.”
View this post on Instagram
As an island most waste dumped on our streets eventually ends up in the sea, regardless of where you live on the island.
Work is being done to tackle the country’s ever-growing waste problem, but litter remains a problem with images of rubbish piling up on our streets regularly being posted on social media.
What do you think of the footage?
READ NEXT: Archbishop Praises Mario Mallia's Inclusive Initiatives In Meeting With St Albert The Great College
