The government’s new ‘helpline’ 138 told Mġarr residents that reports against illegal Santa Marija construction works would only be accepted if they provided their full details
138 ‘helpline’ does not stop illegal Santa Marija construction works
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Residents living in Mġarr’s Triq Santa Marija could not enjoy their Santa Marija feast in piece and quiet, as all-day construction works kicked off as early as 7am – including noise of drillers, compressors, and with severe dust emissions.
“Due to all this noise from early morning, my wife who’s between night shifts can’t get the rest she desperately needs”, a frustrated resident living close to the construction site told NEWZ.mt
The law supposedly enforced by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) states that during Sundays and public holidays no construction works are permitted.
However, the resident told NEWZ.mt that the government’s new ‘helpline’ 138 initially refused to take action when they attempted to report the illegality just before 11am.
No report without personal details?
“Apparently they’ve introduced a policy that one cannot submit reports anonymously anymore, which kind of defeats the idea of being a whistle-blower”, the frustrated resident said.
“Malta is a small place, and my village is even smaller and I cannot risk any retaliation on my family”, they added.
When NEWZ.mt arrived on site at 3.45pm to document the authority’s inaction, works were still in full swing, with workers not even stopping when cameras were pointed at them for about 30 minutes.
In a test call to 138 at 4.27pm, we were able to report the illegality without being required to reveal any personal details, and the call centre agent promised to send BCA enforcement.
Affected by illegalities?
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No BCA enforcement
Unsurprisingly, no BCA officials showed up until 5.30pm, when the workers called it a day and residents finally could start enjoying what should have been a quiet public holiday – all day.
Adding to the community’s frustration, dust from the drilling done at balcony levels settled on the festive pavaljuni adorning the streets in preparation for Mġarr’s upcoming village feast.
“Not even a modicum of respect for the voluntary work of those who try to beautify the village core,” another resident told NEWZ.mt
Video footage recorded on site also reveals how none of the workers were protecting themselves by wearing a full arrest harness while working at the unprotected edges of the unfinished balconies.
A request for a statement to the site’s Occupational Health and Safety official, Joseph Camilleri, has remained unanswered by the time of publication.
The Building and Construction Authority has also failed to answer this newsroom’s questions on why their enforcement officers only showed up on Friday at around 9.30am – 23 hours after the residents’ first attempt to report the illegalities.
However, a person claiming to speak on behalf of the construction site’s owners, apologised in a Facebook comment for the inconvenience caused, saying the owners “were not aware of any works happening in the building” which they would have stopped immediately.
“These must have been subcontracted foreign workers who do not celebrate our feasts”, the person claimed.
It is pertinent to note that all individuals legally responsible for all works going on at the construction site in Mġarr’s Triq Santa Marija are in fact Maltese nationals.
