A tragedy was narrowly averted on Sunday 5^th. October in St.Paul’s Bay after a ceiling cave-in had the owner clinging from a wall while falling slabs injured his wife who happened to be in the hallway below. The property next door was recently demolished and excavated, following which, damage was noted to the walls of the adjoining house where the roof later caved in. 

Although Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) is waiting for technical experts to submit their reports on this serious incident, the organisation comments, yet again, that it is unacceptable that notwithstanding past tragedies and several other cases where the contractors have been found fully liable and grossly negligent, MEPA still has no remit to intervene in cases of damage to neighbouring houses and injuries to residents. Similarly the Occupational Health and Safety Authority insists that it is only responsible for accidents at the place of work. This legal lacuna is the very reason why, in the case of 94-year old Yolanda Angilleri whose life was in peril as a developer demolished flats above hers, the authorities had ignored the case until it was highlighted in the media. 

Similarly, in spite of the death of a toddler who fell down an uncovered shaft in Zebbug last April, no action has resulted from months of reports to the authorities regarding works in an old garden in St. Paul’s Bay which have inflicted great damage to neighbours’ properties and left a well uncovered – a death trap for children playing in the area.

Ever since it was set up Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar has been demanding that action be taken to rectify this lack of protection for residents and their property. 

The Authorities have recently taken laudable initiatives in sectors like heritage protection with MEPA’s scheduling of Villa Bologna and the Lija Belvedere along with decisive action to block harmful applications on these sites. This was followed by the Lands Dept long-overdue measures to stop encroachment on public land by cafes, restaurants and caravans. So why have the Authorities been so negligent in their responsibility to protect residents’ rights?   What are they doing now to ensure that there are no further serious accidents to citizens and damage to their homes?  When will we see compensation to owners of damaged property, without them having to spend half their lives in court? 

Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar

8th October 2008