In St Paul's Bay, cleaning crews can't keep up with the rubbish

A St Paul’s Bay family living on Triq l-Iskuna had to grapple with a rat infestation as a colony of rodents nested in an old mattress left on the family’s doorstep for over two years.

“After several reports, they finally removed it,” a member of the family said.

The family is among several St Paul’s Bay residents facing a worsening sanitary situation as the authorities grapple to manage garbage collection, bulk refuse and littering in the most populous town in Malta. 

The problem has persisted despite the fact that, since the beginning of this year, employees from the Cleansing and Maintenance Division have been deployed every afternoon, collecting an average of 15 tons of waste material daily from Monday to Sunday.

Several residents have aired their concerns with Times of Malta. Alexandra Tutulan, a resident, said garbage is sometimes left to ferment for two or three days in the heat.

“We are hit by a very bad smell of rotting garbage whenever we leave our building,” she said.

Garbage is a serious problem in Triq l-Iskuna, according to a resident who also complained about the rat infestation.

“People keep dumping stuff everywhere,” she said.

Greta Staknienė said many areas are...