No stone left unturned?

Sand that is sorely lacking from an area in Għadira should be replaced over the next couple of days but the Mellieħa council, which promised it, is not hopeful it can solve the problem of the ongoing beach erosion.

"To be honest, I think this is only a temporary solution and the situation will revert back to square one in a few weeks, if not days," said mayor Robert Cutajar, who believed this was "a fight against nature" which no one had control over.

The only remedy was the controversial removal of Marfa Road, the main thoroughfare running along the bay, and the construction of another, further inland, for which permits were pending, he added. "Otherwise, Għadira will cease to exist within 15 years, a photocopy of the fate of Xemxija."

But the replacement of the missing sand next to an outlet on the beach, which its operators have been calling for, was not to their satisfaction either.

They claimed the non-existent beach next to their restaurant first had to be cleared of the stones and other obstacles before the sand could be placed over it, providing only a superficial way out to what they considered a "major danger". Only the pebbles belonged to the beach, they said, and the rest could only lead to injury.

An area on one side of The Big Blue beach club is full of stones, which the operators maintained came from elsewhere, as well as rusty pipes and slabs of concrete emerging from the sea as the sand continues to disappear, revealing the remnants of an "ancient" road that once lay beneath.

Further on into their concession, which the operators claimed was now partly in the sea, there were only about three inches of sand. "A kid can so easily trip on these stones and crash onto a jagged rock.

It is a health hazard and our bar has turned into a clinic," said concerned partners Gordon Camenzuli and Andrè Adams, who have dubbed Għadira the "death beach".

They are collecting comments on its state from the public for a petition and are asking patrons to identify which rocks, displayed on a table, actually belong to Għadira in exchange for a free Coke.

The problem is the mayor and the operators were not seeing eye to eye on whether the stones in the sea by their outlet should be removed. Mr Cutajar quotes experts saying the removal of stones would have worse repercussions, with more sand being lost. The operators, however, believe that anything alien to the sea should be taken away as it was causing permanent erosion.

Mr Cutajar maintained it would prove problematic to pull out the pipe that could stretch the length of the vast beach but the operators insist safety was a priority.

Such was the height of the beach erosion that the road leading off the main thoroughfare to The Big Blue was recently rebuilt after it was practically eaten away and caved in, its foundations being sand.

The mayor believed much of the dire situation was due to past construction on the beach, which did not respect nature.

He said much has been done to improve it, to make sure everyone was going about one's business legally and to safeguard what was considered to be part of the island's heritage. For example, the swimming zone had been extended, ensuring boats remained far from the shore; new dustbins to separate waste were installed; concession and barbecue rules were being enforced; and six beach cleaners from the Cleansing Department trailed Għadira for rubbish every two hours, he said.

But they seemed to be missing the area near the club, according to its operators, who find it hard to believe the beach will acquire Blue Flag status by next year, the local council's goal.