The neglected street that does not exist

Who says water is scarce on this island? Last Saturday I called Water Services on their freephone number to report a water leak in Triq l-Inġenier, Madliena. A very polite person who dealt with the call informed me no such street existed on their "directory". I told him I was standing in front of the street sign and added that after Madliena, the word Swieqi was added.

He still insisted that he did not have any such street in Madliena, Swieqi but asked for my ID number from which he deduced that I, in fact, according to Water Services, lived in Triq il-Victoria Lines, Madliena, Naxxar.

No matter, this confusion sorted out, he said that they would promptly fix the leak. This was last Saturday morning. By yesterday, the leak had increased and our unkempt road is now even more damaged from five days of water soaking through the thin layer of surface which was laid years ago and has been totally unmaintained.

The confusion of the name of the road may be the reason that the local council and the central government fail to patch our pothole-filled road, put up any street lighting and generally maintain this road. It is now obvious to me that they don't know where we are; that is, except for prior to election-time when every politician somehow manages to find our letterboxes.

I am nobody's spokesman but I know each of my neighbours is just as disgruntled by the lack of interest those in charge have towards our neighbourhood.

Don't waste any more of our scarce recources.