Rubble walls in Safi's countryside

For these past few years strange things have been happening on the outskirts of the picturesque village of Safi. The rubble walls on the sides of the lanes that meander through the country are being built to the height of 1.8 m and over with the consequence that nobody can go for walks through these lanes.

During the summer, as these lanes lack air circulation, it will be impracticable to walk through, as one feels suffocated owing to the extreme heat. During the winter, after the first rainfall, it will be impossible to walk through owing to the puddles of mud that will take months to dry up, as the sun does not penetrate, owing to the extremely high walls.

This is the case with the lane that is situated between Birzebbuga Road and the runway, and the same thing is happening to Birzebbuga Road and other lanes around Safi.

Although the height of a rubble wall should not exceed 138 cm in height, as established by Mepa, nobody seems to care about it, not even the Safi mayor, who passes through these lanes several times a day and yet never stopped anyone abusing of public property. Yes public property.

We are paying taxes for the maintenance of these lanes. The fields belong to the farmers; but the lanes, landscapes and the air we breathe in the countryside belong to the public.

To add insult to injury, farmers are allowed to make permanent sleeping policemen along these lanes to drive rainwater to their wells instead of the traditional rolled sacks, which can be easily be removed once the rain has stopped.

I have great respect for farmers, as they are the only cultivators of nature in our country, but they are lacking respect towards the many people who early in the morning or late in the afternoon use these lanes for their walks, which they have all the right to do.

I hope that Safi council, together with Mepa, will stop these abuses and see that these lanes return to their original state.