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Il-MEPA: Awtorità jew Pupazz?

Dan l-artiklu deher fin-Nazzjon tal-Ħamis 3 ta' Lulju

Il-kontroversja dwar il-proposta’ tal-hekk imsejħa “università” fuq art verġni fiż-Żonqor fetħet beraħ diskussjoni dwar l-imparzjalità tal-Awtorità tal-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar. Dan b’mod speċjali wara li l-MEPA ppreżentat rapport preliminari li jiġġustifika l-għażla tas-sit taż-Żonqor għal dan l-iżvilupp.

Dan ir-rapport beda jiġi diskuss fil-Kumitat Permanenti tal-Kamra tad-Deputati dwar l-Ambjent u l-Ippjanar tal-Iżvilupp nhar it-Tnejn 15 ta’ Ġunju. Kienet laqgħa interessanti immense, li fiha NGOs kif ukoll ċittadini konċernati bħali stajna nagħmlu l-mistoqsijiet tagħna lill-Kap Eżekuttiv tal-MEPA, li l-uffiċċju tiegħu prepara u preżenta dan ir-rapport.

Fost l-oħrajn tkellmu Michael Briguglio u James Debono, f’isem il-Front Ħarsien ODZ, li ħarġu n-nuqqas ta’ serjetà tal-Awtorità li qed tippreżenta rapport ta’ ftit paġni li mhu iffirmat minn ħadd, u li fih ma kien involut l-ebda soċjologu, antropologu, bijologu, espert tat-traffiku, jew esperti oħra li jkunu involuti f’rapporti simili. Lanqas id-Direttorat tal-Ambjent tal-MEPA stess ma kien involut, għax fi kliem il-Kap Eżekuttiv, kellu istruzzjonijiet li jżomm kollox kunfidenzjali. Fi kliem ieħor, qed jgħid li l-Gvern u l-uffiċċju tiegħu m’għandhomx fiduċja fid-Direttorat tal-Ambjent.

Għamel intervent b’saħħtu wkoll Alfred E. Baldacchino, ex-Assistent Direttur fid-Direttorat tal-Ambjent fil-MEPA, li tkellem fuq id-dilettantiżmu ta’ dan ir-rapport. Tkellem kif dan ir-rapport ma jgħid xejn fuq l-impatt soċjali ta’ dan il-proġett u l-impatt fuq it-traffiku. Ħareġ ir-redikolaġni tar-rapport fejn isemmi l-ekosistemi u jgħid li m’hemm l-ebda fawna tabita z-zona, u kif ir-rapport kważi jgħid l-iskart u materjal li hemm fil-post jiġġustifika l-iżvilupp. B’mod ċar is-Sur Baldacchino jgħid li dan ir-rapport jidher intiż biex iġib “il-boċċa qrib il-likk”, qisu kien ġa deċiż li l-proġett isir iż-Żonqor u għamlu rapport biex jiġġustifikaw id-deċiżjoni, minflok sar bil-kontra.

Fir-rapport deher ċar ukoll li waqt li fil-bidu jgħid li kellha tintgħażel żona fin-Nofsinhar ta’ Malta, aktar tard jgħid li kellha tintgħażel żona fix-Xlokk ta’ Malta. Skont il-Kap Eżekuttiv, dan hu żball, għax huma intalbu jagħżlu żona fix-Xlokk, u sabu biss żewġ siti li jiġu kkumparati f’dan ir-rapport, mentri wara li qamet il-kontroverjsa intalbu jsibu sit fin-Nofsinhar kollu ta’ Malta. Dan ukoll jagħti xamma tinten li dan ir-rapport huwa biss attentat li jiġġustifika deċiżjoni ġa meħuda.

F’intervent qasir li għamilt jien ukoll sħaqt li l-Awtorità qed tinganna, bħalma qed jagħmel il-Gvern, meta tgħid li dan il-bini jista’ jsir f’ODZ għax hu edukattiv. Il-pjani lokali jiġġustifikaw biss bini ta’ skejjel fl-ODZ sakemm iz-zona ma tkunx ta’ valur agrikolu, ma tkunx ta’ importanza xjentifika u ekoloġika, u ma tkunx zona desinjata. Iz-zona indikata tikser dawn il-kundizzjonijiet. Dan ifisser li kieku l-Gvern applika biex jibni skola pubblika, b’xejn għal Maltin, f’din iz-zona, l-Awtorità kienet fid-dmir li twaqqfu għax tmur kontra l-pjani lokali li suppost qiegħda timplimenta, jekk hi tassew awtorità indipendenti u mhux pupazz tal-Gvern. Aħseb u ara meta l-binja hija tal-privat, għal profitt tal-privat! Minflok, qed naraw lill-Awtorità tindika s-sit hi stess f’dan ir-rapport!

Ic-Chairperson tal-Kumitat, Marlene Farrugia, sejħet ukoll bħala assurda kif filli kien hemm biss żewġ alternattivi, u filli l-Kap Eżekuttiv qal lill-Kumitat li issa hemm madwar 100 sit alternattiv. Fi kliemha, dan juri kif l-Awtorità m’għamlitx xogħolha sew mill-ewwel darba. Hija ċanfret ukoll lil Kap Eżekuttiv u appellatlu biex iżomm mar-rwol li għandu, li hu li jkun leali lejn il-poplu Malti u mhux lejn il-Gvern tal-ġurnata.

Dan ir-rapport qed joħroġ biċ-ċar li l-Gvern qed juża l-MEPA bħala pupazz f’idejh, u l-Awtorità qed tonqos mid-dmir tagħha li tiddefendi l-pjani lokali u l-ambjent Malti. Il-Gvern qed imur ukoll kontra l-wegħdi elettorali tiegħu, fosthom li jagħti priorità lill-ambjent u li għal kull proġett jagħmel studju tal-impatt soċjali. Minflok, qed jiġi jaqa’ u jqum minn kulħadd, basta jaqdi lil ħbiebu u l-iżvilupatturi li sostnewh.

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