Regarding Sunday Times 24th January
“I refer to the article carried on the Sunday
Times of the 24 January 2010 entitled “A Lack of Political Will”. I enjoyed reading through the general
thoughts of Mr Tancred Tabone who has had the opportunity to head the
Water Services Corporation and EneMalta during various stages of his
career. His down to earth yet
knowledgeable interview regarding an important national resource –
Water, was refreshing. I also
noted with interest his suggestions to the politicians and regrets that
there is no political will to change our course into nowhereland. I also note that Mr.Tabone’s thoughts
are roughly synchronised with those of the reputable hydrologist Ing
Marco Cremona.
That said, the general public may recall
also that during my term as minister for agriculture between 1996 and 1998,
I had personally seen to the essential need to improve the quality of
our watercourses especially at their upstream positions, and
spearheaded the rehabilitation of Wied il-Qlejgha, a very important
catchment watercourse.
This project intended the start of an
improved water catchment management system, allowing water to replenish
the water-table, stabilise the watercourse embankments, make water
available to the lush agriculture in the area, while respecting the
ecology of the area.
This was indeed a hydrological solution,
geological, ecological, engineering and rural landscaping success. It is truly shameful as well as
unfortunate that the successive governments did not realise the
importance of this work.
To add insult to injury, I note that some
floor relief projects were carried out by casting large concrete
culverts which goes entirely against experts’ advice in this field,
steered away from aggressing the matter at its source (upstream) and
created a monstrous concrete monument
It is a pity few speak out, any many fail to
offer any opinion on this ‘Strong Political Will’ to address the
conservation of this essential national resource seriously. Nonetheless, I applaud Mr. Tabone for
taking interest in this matter and would suggest that all of us who
consider this to be a very important matter, pull up our sleeves and
take the plunge to work together in the interest of the securing our
nation’s, indeed Life’s, most precious resource - Water.
