Lands Authority set to inspect gaping hole under Għar id-Dud promenade

Danger had been flagged in a geological report flagged by MaltaToday in 2007, warning that if collapse is sudden and during daytime or early night time, ‘injury and loss of lives may result’

The gaping hole has developed under the promenade between the Chalet and Qui-Si-Sana
The gaping hole has developed under the promenade between the Chalet and Qui-Si-Sana

The Lands Authority will be inspecting a gaping hole which has developed under the promenade between the Chalet and Qui-Si-Sana.

This was confirmed by Sliema mayor John Pillow when contacted by MaltaToday.

“I am glad that a government entity has finally assumed responsibility,” the mayor told MaltaToday. He also promised that the council will be taking the matter seriously and will be following through with the authorities to ensure that action is taken.

Pillow said he had previously raised this issue in meetings he had with the Malta Tourism Authority, but it was never clear who was responsible for the promenade and the rocks underneath it.

The Sliema mayor had gone public on this issue in a video posted on Facebook on Sunday, in which he warned that that the rocks beneath the promenade could cave in.  He also called for “immediate action to avoid any tragedy”.

In the video he warned that the promenade above could give way during the next north-eastern storm. “Part of the concrete here has fallen into the sea. Fissures have appeared in the rock, leading to a hole underneath the promenade. Three metres from the railings inwards are empty.”

The mayor’s concerns had been previously raised in a geological report commissioned by the Sliema council in 2007, which had caused a stir in the locality after its contents were divulged by MaltaToday.

The possibility of tragedy was very clearly spelt out in the report by Geotek Services, which has warned of impending collapse of the underground caves from the effects of global warming and the increased likelihood of storms.

“If collapse is sudden and during daytime or early night time, injury and loss of lives may result,” the report warned.

The report has revealed that the faulted coast along Għar id-Dud is retreating rapidly by the dislodgement of boulders along joints and faults, affecting the stability of the Tower Road promenade.

This will lead to either partial or total collapse of the caves, resulting in the promenade literally “caving in”, the report warns.

Sites where the retaining wall of the pedestrian area acts as a sea wall, are also in immediate danger by wave undercutting, unless retaining walls are built to reinforce and buttress the walls to avoid further damage.

The report does not say when the caves could collapse, but warns the roof of the Għar id-Dud cave is liable to collapse and that a “detailed study of the stability of the cave is required”.

It also called on the authorities to assess the state of the Għar id-Dud seas caves and take appropriate measures to mitigate any hazard caused by collapse. It recommends building retaining walls to reduce wave energy reaching the shore. “These coastal defence mechanisms are important in Ghar id-Dud bay where coastal erosion threatens the stability of overlying pedestrian zone due to the collapse of the cave roof.”

Before 2005, the promenade had been earmarked for the private development of an underground car park as part of the redevelopment of the Chalet.

The plan was later scrapped as it was feared that works would result in the destruction of the protected caves.

The Għar id-Dud caves, which stretch for 33 metres beneath the promenade and Tower Road, are considered to be sites of “special scientific interest”.

The government has recently issued a call for proposals from prospective bidders to regenerate the site of the Chalet in Sliema, asking investors for a minimum capital spend of €3.2 million.

The latest call does not refer to the development of a carpark in the area.

Sliema residents have in the past raised concerns over new buildings and development in the area, and whether risk assessments took into consideration the worrying condition of the rock foundations.

Questions have also been sent to the Lands Authority.