SOS Il-Maqluba

On a recent visit to Il-Maqluba at Qrendi I was met by the sight of plastic soft drink bottles, fast food empties as well as discarded beer cans. Further down this natural depression, there are dislodged paving stones, sheltered by overgrown weeds and carob tree branches suffocated by wild brambles.

It is an overgrown jungle, rather than a beauty spot shrouded by history, culture and legend.

The mid-level belvedere stairway is dilapidated, as are the protective railings, with the erosion caused by stormwater runoff, making the place a safety hazard.

A huge broken carob tree branch that has brought down an għargħar (Sandarac Gum) tree sapling (Malta's National Tree), restricts the otherwise splendid view of Il-Maqluba.

The whole environment cries out for help. Can anything be done?