The stench associated for a long time with Maghtab should be transformed into fragrant scents with the proposed creation of a "perfume wall". This wall of vegetation, from thyme to lavender and rosemary, is intended to balance out the odours emanating from the waste management site and forms part of the landfill's rehabilitation.
The winning designs of German consortium Melitopia, chosen in an international competition, should convert Maghtab into a sweet-smelling recreational park.
The project will cost €30 million from EU funds and will be split into three phases starting in the near future and spanning a period of 20 years and over. The landscaping along the coast road should start shortly and over the next couple of years, people will be able to start using the area as a fly-park.
The proposed concept includes an expanse of land for paragliding and hand gliding adventure sports, cells of peace and spirituality, an open-air theatre on the Maghtab plateau, a sand wave to link the park to the sea, and picnic areas.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi toured the Maghtab Environmental Complex on Friday with Environment Minister George Pullicino. Dr Gonzi also visited the €8.4-million gas station where he initiated the process to extract and neutralise gases from 46 wells drilled into the closed landfill.
The contract for Maghtab's rehabilitation to extract and monitor toxic gases was awarded to the German company JV Hasse and Vassallo Group last year. The station can separate methane gas, which can eventually be used to generate electricity, as well as toxic gases. Over the three-month testing period the company will be in a better position to gauge the situation and establish where they had to drill the remaining wells. The toxic gases will be burnt in a Voxy Box that can reach temperatures of up to 1,000°C which converts the noxious fumes into ashes.
Dr Gonzi encouraged the public to visit Maghtab as WasteServ organises its second open day on Saturday. People will be taken on a tour through the civic amenity site, the closed Maghtab landfill, which is being rehabilitated, and the Ta' Zwejra and Ghallis engineered landfills. Guided tours by technical people will take place every hour between 09:00CET and 15:00CET.
Earlier this year during the official opening of the Civic Amenity Site at the Maghtab Environment Complex, Minister Pulliccino had announced that less waste was sent to landfill in the year 2006 as a result of the waste minimisation and recycling initiatives introduced by WasteServ. Waste going to landfill decreased by 4,000 tons when compared to 2005 - an encouraging result when one considers that waste increases at an average of 3% each year.
