Business interests versus citizenship

The residents of Santa Maria Estate are a homogeneous community. They are strongly united in their determination to safeguard the patrimony of the valley, known as Wied Għajn Żejtuna. They are also of one mind on improving the healthy environment and the congenial atmosphere of this treasured habitat of Mellieħa. Yet the authorities may want to satisfy the gargantuan appetite of destructive entrepreneurs instead of the hundreds of residents. That is blatant discrimination!

The enrolled members of their association, known as the Għaqda, are in constant collaboration with the local council, approving the incentives of the hard-working mayor in ensuring the cleanliness of an area stretching from Ċirkewwa to Manikata. We all feel proud of his efforts to gain a Blue Ribbon for Mellieħa Bay, to protect the much-vandalised forestation scheme, in his direct interest in the Mistral scheme and in other projects too many to mention.

Yet the Santa Maria residents feel that some government authorities retaliate to their good deeds with a succession of punishments and callous permits for illegal building constructions that rape and spoil the “remaining” virginity of the magnificent beauty of Għajn Żejtuna. The outline planning application 05301/07 seeks the approval of a major development of 13 semi-detached dwellings in the lower end of the valley. The authors of such immoral atrocities should be named and shamed. They remind one of Satan’s words in Milton’s Paradise Lost, “Evil be thou my Good”.

The residents are the vigilantes of Santa Maria: the Neighbourhood Watch implies direct participation in guarding against the irresponsibilities of daring hunters, thieves, arsonists, dog-walkers as well as litter bugs. They alleviate the work of the police and wardens.

Their sense of citizenship is also evident in the manual work they perform on Saturdays in cleaning the valley and in gladly making efforts to ensure the success of the recycling scheme.

The valley is a physical lung, the residents’ health protection from the toxic fumes spewed out by juggernauts including dirty rubbish collection vehicles, earth-rattling water bowsers, gigantic concrete mixers and the speeding cars. Any construction in the valley will destroy the healthy function of neutralising the toxic fumes.

The valley is the reservoir of all the cascading waters from both hilly sides of the valley, excessive rainfall from flat roofs, and from the asphalted roads as far away as the main road into the village. Flood water is channelled into the valley by a wide traffic calmer and so every winter excessive rainfall does not cause the havoc and destruction of the lower area of Santa Maria as had happened some years ago.

More buildings will burst open the over-used drainage system, leading to pollution of the valley and the seashore. The drainage system caters only for a limited number of villas. Too many permits given out irresponsibly have already damaged the drainage system. Smells churned up from the drains are nauseating.

The splendour of the valley remains alive and thrives as long as man does not play havoc with the evergreen habitat of flora and fauna, including the unique fresh-water crab. Who is so irresponsibly ready to destroy all the natural patrimony that radiates God’s gift to Mellieħa?