Both MEPA and Enemalta agree there are no hard and fast policies governing the installation of electricity poles or pylons in the countryside, with the result that these have been chaotically installed over the years – in some cases, with little or no regard to the surrounding environment.
Speaking in her capacity as public relations officer, recently appointed MEPA board secretary Sylvana Debono told MaltaToday: “MEPA discourages the indiscriminate erection of pylons and poles. We are discussing with Enemalta and other interested parties on how to best meet the growing demand for services with a better planning and environmental approach”.
Asked whether Enemalta has to go through MEPA before installing pylons, Debono said “there is no clear-cut situation”.
“This is not an easy matter to solve and frequently it is dealt with on a case by case basis. There have been cases were MEPA has had to intervene through direct action,” she concluded.
Enemalta chairman Alex Tranter confirmed that Enemalta has no internal policy on the installation of pylons and that “it is taken on the merits of every individual case.”
“We place pylons according to the needs and exigencies of service provision. The only other alternative to the placement of pylons we see in the countryside would be the underground installation of electricity cables, but more often than not this turns out to be very expensive,” he said.
“There has been a recent case of underground installation of electricity cables between Mosta and Mellieha. In that case, the pylons had to be replaced anyway since they were worn out and once the road was being redone, it was much easier for us to pass the cables underground.”
With regard to Enemalta’s relationship with MEPA, Tranter said: “There have been isolated cases of action on Enemalta from MEPA’s behalf. That said, we consult with MEPA very often and enjoy a healthy relationship at the moment.”
But Vince Attard, president of the environmental NGO Nature Trust, feels that nobody should be exempt from applying to permits, still less governmental organisations.
“It’s about time we see some co-ordination so as to ensure sustainable development. If there really is a political will for the country not to cause permanent damage to the environment, there should be a solid concerted effort between government entities,” he said. “This way, we can avoid repeating cases such as the one with pylons passing through the garigue in Ghajn Tuffieha.”
Malta Labour Party spokesperson for the environment Roderick Galdes sees nothing wrong with the current situation.
“I don’t think we should go back to when Local Councils for example, had to apply through MEPA to build pavements. This had increased bureaucracy and slowed down work. In the same way, if Enemalta decides to erect pylons within development zones without consulting MEPA, then so be it. If on the other hand, the erection of pylons will in some way affect the environment then it should be up to Enemalta to consult MEPA or issue a Development Notification Order, so as to ease their work and have the job done in the least time possible. We cannot risk letting red tape cause a disservice to the urgency that power supply often entails.”
On his part Alternattiva Demokratika general secretary Victor Galea referred to the recent case where MEPA issued an enforcement notice on Enemalta for erecting 16 pylons in an area known as Ras il-Bajjada in Gozo.
“The zone covers a special protected area on one side and a scheduled area on the other,” he said. “This is a clear case where government synergy is not only causing harm to the environment, but also to our pockets. Enforcement notice or not, the pylons have been erected. Is it not the taxpayer who will ultimately pay for this work? I wonder what Enemalta’s next step will be. Will they turn to Giovanna (Debono) to resolve the issue?”