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James Debono
Transport Minister Jesmond Mugliett has declared in parliament that the proposed Manikata road, forming part of the Trans-European Transport Road Network, will have a minimal impact on arable land in the area although an environmental impact assessment has contradicted his statement.
The proposed bypass involves the widening of existing roads in Xemxija, Ghajn Tuffieha and Manikata and the building of a 499-metre tunnel passing through Manikata. The road will stretch for six kilometres.
According to the EIA carried out on behalf of the Malta Transport Authority (ADT), the new tunnel and Xemxija Bay junction will require the loss of a strip of agricultural land “approximately five kilometres in length.”
According to the same EIA, “this represents a large impact due to the importance of agricultural land in this area and the large amount of land loss it involves,” affecting what has been described as Malta’s “most valuable agricultural land.”
It also turns out that in order to develop this road the government would have to expropriate agricultural land. According to Home Affairs Minister Tonio Borg, the lands department will only expropriate land if a request is made by the ADT.
Borg said that since the land in question is private, an expropriation order would be required, but the ADT has not yet made a similar request.
The development of this road will also require the approval of the Malta Environment and Planning Authority. Environment Minister George Pullicino has told parliament that no application has been yet presented to MEPA on the development of this road.
But the Minister acknowledges that discussions between MEPA and the ADT have been held on this issue. Pullicino added that his ministry acknowledges the need of a bypass joining the north of Malta with the St Paul’s Bay area in order to avoid congestion in Xemxija.
Significantly Pullicino has also declared that the Department of Agriculture has not received any correspondence on this project.
Minister Mugliett insists that this road would improve the environment in this area as it would decrease congestion in Xemxija Hill. According to Mugliett other alternatives had been considered by the ADT and the French company BECOM but it turned out that the Manikata road is the one with the least negative environmental impact.
The minister also said the proposed road is still being considered as proposal and a final decision will only be taken after public consultation and further environmental studies.
jdebono@newsworlksltd.com
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