The Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Julia Farrugia Portelli, together with the Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi, visited Wied Għomor where improvement works have just been completed with an investment of € 25,000 from the Ministry of Tourism and co-financed by European funds.
Wied l-Għomor is one of a series of valleys that are being given a new look by Parks Malta – a series that includes Wied Garnaw in St. Lucia in which work was inaugurated earlier this year, Wied il-Fiddien in Victoria , Wied ir-Rum in Ħad-Dingli, and Wied tal-Ġnejna in Mġarr. These five projects together have a total investment of € 330,000.
In this valley in the limits of Swieqi and San Ġwann, the workers of Parks Malta built 110 cubic meters of wall for the protection from the rainwater that circulates in the area thus reducing the soil erosion from surrounding fields.
In addition, invasive species such as Acacia trees and castor trees have been removed. They have been replaced by more than 200 native trees and shrubs. An irrigation system was also installed.
The Minister for Tourism and Consumer Protection Julia Farrugia Portelli praised this hard work that has been done in recent months which is leading to giving the valleys of the country the importance and protection they so much deserve.
“Our valleys are the lungs of our country. It is therefore important that we continue to intervene to strengthen the ecological systems in these valleys and to serve as a space where one can spend some time away from fast-paced life. We are not only relying on such interventions, but also with a separate investment of € 17 million, we are working on implementing a plan to better manage and improve environmental resources in our valleys “, stressed Minister Farrugia Portelli.
Parliamentary Secretary for European Funds Stefan Zrinzo Azzopardi spoke about how through European funds the government is continuing to strengthen the rural environment of the country, while ensuring that development is sustainable. Therefore, he also stressed how we must continue to green the urban environment so that Maltese and Gozitans have a better quality of life. The parliamentary secretary concluded by saying that such a project shows how the collaboration between the government and our local councils has been successfully translated for the benefit of the local people, to further strengthen the richness of the Maltese environment. .
Present together with the minister and the parliamentary secretary were the Mayor of Swieqi Noel Muscat, the Mayor of San Ġwann Trevor Fenech, and Alex Borg Galea, the official in charge of Valley Management within Parks Malta.
