Every time I read a newspaper from Malta or check out an NGO press release, I get hit in the face by more and more destruction of this country's history. Why oh why are these money hungry developers so hell bent on the destruction of those parts of Malta and Gozo which have taken hundreds or thousands of years to reach their present state?

The proposed development of the Tal-Papa farm in Birzebbuga is yet another example of just how badly things are going wrong in both Gozo and Malta. This unique site was created by three generations of the same family as a wonderful gift that enriches your country.

To even consider the possibility of destroying this area is beyond belief. Consider for a moment just how this field was created. This area was excavated to a depth of two storeys, by hand. The topsoil was removed and put aside and then the underlying rock was cut by the ancient method of cutting a groove by hand and inserting wooden wedges into the groove. The wedges would then have been soaked and left to expand which would split apart the rock. After that area of rock had been removed the topsoil was replaced and work began on the next section. Ask yourselves, would anyone contemplate carrying out such a labour of love today? Tal-Papa is not just a field; it is part of your history and culture, which must remain, as it is for future generations to marvel at. It stands as a testament to the ingenuity of the people of Malta in times gone by. The shelters below the field protected numerous local families during wartime bombing raids and were then utilised as water reservoirs to give the field its own year round water supply. It is also home to numerous protected trees, bats, frogs, birds and reptiles. It is now up to all of us to save it by objecting to Mepa through this e-mail address: ghirghien@mepa.org.mt

I have just returned from my yearly visit to my beloved island of Gozo and found myself struck this year as every other year by the vast number of empty and derelict buildings, which scar the island. I was even more shocked by the number of new blocks of flats that have sprung up in Gozo in the space of just one year. The Birzebbuga area is no different with over 1,000 empty dwellings. Politicians are forever talking about the importance of sustainability. My question therefore is, are they going to stand by and watch the destruction of Tal-Papa, which is what sustainability is all about?

James A. Tyrrell, Larne, Northern Ireland.