In my opinion the best way to arrive at an objective opinion as to the projected Ghadira Road is to look back at the sorry tale that is Mellieha Bay. In its natural state the area looked very similar to Ramla Beach in Gozo.

The sand dunes at the back of Mellieha Bay were carted away prior and during World War II to build the beach posts dotted around Malta. The Royal Engineers for military purposes constructed the narrow two-lane road that cut across the sand and which most of us still remember. Eventually the landside of the road was used as a bus terminus so any windblown sand that managed to get across this surmountable barrier was compacted and the chance of the sand dunes reforming themselves was impaired.

Then in the early 1980s it was the Labour administration that first came out with the firm proposal of moving the road further inland. Minister Austin Gatt was nowhere in sight! Nobody talked of scientific studies then. The objections came from a few farmers, a landowner and the Danish Village. Eventually we ended up with the present dual carriageway that took up two thirds of the bay and the vital area at the back where sand dunes normally form themselves. Today we know scientifically how important the dunes are for the ecologic sustainability of sandy bays. The bird sanctuary then followed. The Ghadira was permanently flooded to create the present habitat.

Incidentally, the lake used to dry up completely in the summer only to replenish itself in the winter months. A scientific study could point out that this permanent flooding might have also contributed towards the vanishing sand. The westerly winds must have carried back a large amount of sand from the dried up Ghadira.

Excessive beach cleaning with the wrong equipment also needs to be looked at closely. In my opinion there is enough empirical evidence to make us realise objectively that human intervention over the years has contributed to the bay's present state. It appears best to keep roads and sandy bays well apart. Could anyone imagine a dual carriageway cutting across the sand dunes at Ramla? Picture the disastrous results and you will arrive pretty close "scientifically" as to why the present Ghadira road has to be reappraised.