In past few years, we have seen so many projects executed that were detrimental to our country’s environment and aesthetics.
In 2005, the Kalkara valley was destroyed. Beautiful Delimara was destroyed by the power station, with Marsaxlokk needing a facelift after the pollution it suffered thanks to the same station. Portomaso building in St. Julian’s was not enough. The Mercury Tower was built, adding to the destruction of the once-beautiful St. Julian’s. The once beautiful Paola Square, adorned with trees, has turned into a mini-gray desert, lacking shade and trees. And the list is endless. There is no balance between nature and building in Malta. Some people argued that no protests were done for these before and that a fuss was made for the Mosta trees. Well, activists did protest to safeguard the Paola trees, for example. And here it is opportune to remind the nation of what Paola Square once looked like, how they promised us it would be turned into, and what they have in reality turned it into now:
The thing is that I think now the way Malta is being completely destroyed with the urbanization projects has got up to the Maltese nation’s nose. We are exhausted. We are stressed out. We are unhappy with the way our country has been taken away from us and what it has been turned to. We want open spaces. We want trees. We want nature. We want to hear the chirping of the birds. We want to be able to take long walks in the countryside without cars passing by. We want quiet beaches. We want outdoor places where we can exercise without getting hurt. We do not want more restaurants, more outdoor dining tables, more kiosks, or more hotels. We do not want more apartments. And yet, how can we get back rural, peaceful, and quiet Malta?
A few weeks passed after we learned of the luxury dwellings that were approved in Wied Babu, that we weren’t bestowed with yet another environmental crime and raping of our land: this time the controversial project of 22 apartments and 20 garages that was approved by the Planning Authority near the 5,600-year-old Temples of the Ġgantija, which are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We have also read that this has ended up on the Times of England newspaper, titled ‘Horror at luxury flats overshadowing
world’s oldest building’, which speaks of how these flats will be built at a distance of less than 200 meters from these magnificent temples. The article mentions how in Gozo there is an “unbridled development boom that is suffocating rural development”. Surely. Because anything that is rural in Malta has been suffocated and destroyed, now it is Gozo’s turn.
We have lately read that the Maltese National Committee of ICOMOS, which is an international organization that works in favor of the preservation of monuments and historical sites around the world, has said that it is concerned about the approval for the construction of such apartments because there is the possibility “that the decision was taken based on incorrect information”. This sounds like a good excuse to protect the developers and those who gave the Signor Si for the permit! Money does a lot of miracles and fixes any misinformation whatsoever.
After uniting to safeguard the Mosta trees, which we hope will get back to life now that it was decided that they are to remain there:
the Maltese and the Gozitans must unite and protest to safeguard the magnificent Temples of Ġgantija.
I repeat: all of this will end when Monsieurs Greed, Power, and Corruption will fear walking down the streets.