Ta' Qali Park is supposed to be our national park. An area where one may go for a quiet walk or romp around with the family and dog during the day or evening. Not that we have many places left to go and do such things. However, this summer, since June, something quite inordinate has been happening. I am not only referring to the gravel debacle laid across the green area, but since June, the whole central park area has been practically closed off to the general public with one commercial event or concert after the other taking place. Many times, large trucks, tractors and other commercial vehicles have invaded the area for long periods of time, making it dangerous for man, children and dogs to go there. Not only that, but access to the dog park was often cut off with many complaining that security officers told them they were not even allowed to access the dog park at all, especially after it was completely fenced right round from the outside too. What exactly is the use of having a national park if one is not able to use it during the whole of summer?

The gravel laid out over the green was supposed to stop people being exposed to the dust from the field, but it only made the place dustier and although, we are told, it is supposed to allow grass growth in the winter season, I have yet to see that happening. The big question however is not that. We spent thousands to build a concert area for concerts in Ta' Qali but concerts seem to be taking place everywhere except there. Why are these concerts and other commercial activities not being held at the concert area itself? Is there something wrong in the design of the concert area? Is there a problem with lighting or some safety features like poorly designed safety exit points for large crowds? Is safety an issue?

Something is amiss, as the concert area is not being used at all. A small bird has told me that the concert area was badly planned and executed and several safety features for handling large crowds were missing, so that it could not be safely used. Is this true? If it is so, who is responsible for the spending of large sums of money down the drain? Who is going to take responsibility for the boo boos committed? A lot of political fanfare went down when the concert area was opened there but we have not seen many concerts happening. I can sense that something somewhere is very wrong.

As our towns get more crowded with higher buildings and increased traffic, more and more of us are getting suffocated in our own domestic homes. There is nowhere to go for a walk with the kids or with the dogs. There are no longer any green lungs in our towns and cities and the few places that could be used to provide planned green areas are usually built up immediately to the detriment of the residents living there.

I live in Birkirkara in the Fleur-de-lys area. When 'Go' decided to close its office building on Salvu Psaila Street corner with Fleur-de-lys Junction, a rich golden opportunity was missed. This highly congested built-up area could have been used, in front of a school to boot, to provide a much-needed green area in that region. Perhaps a garden or small park. The state could have bought the property and converted it so. Instead, we now have a four or five storey block of flats for more commercial and domestic use. Who is planning our towns and villages? Are domestic plans being up-dated and up-graded so that more breathing spaces can be allocated in densely built-up areas? Is the environment being given proper consideration in designing our towns and villages or are the lust for power, vanity and money greed being allowed to rule the roost? Is our quality of life being given any consideration at all? Is the government aware that older couples and not so old, are being hounded by developers and being bullied into giving up their properties so that these can be built up into property blocks of flats or garages instead.

Is the government aware that this type of pressure is taking place often to the detriment of older citizens and others? I have seen old people and patients being forced out of their homes because one developer buys the adjacent property and causes enough damage to the old couple's property with cracks, structural damage and whatnot that they are actually forced to sell it as they do not have enough money to repair the damage caused. Is the government aware that pensioners and other persons are often bullied by want-to-be owners of their properties that they are often forced to surrender them?

I believe that this government is not taking its responsibility to the public as regards the environment and building issues seriously and it needs to shore up and be held more to account on these issues because our quality of life is going to the dogs.