MTA not giving up on Balluta’s beach

The government has not ruled out a second attempt to replenish the sand at Balluta Bay next year, refusing to brand the €110,000 project a failure despite the expanded beach appearing to have shrunk back drastically due to bad weather. The “experimental” project undertaken by the Tourism Ministry was aimed at restoring the tiny beach by dredging sand from the bay and pumping it ashore. A total of 4,200 cubic metres of sand was brought up from the seabed to create a 20-metre beach with a footprint of 9,000 square metres. While the larger beach was welcomed, questions were immediately raised as to how long it would last under the assault of rough seas. The government fended off criticism by saying this was only an “experimental” measure to determine if such an exercise was worth the expense. Barely a fortnight after it was inaugurated, the first worrying signs started to appear: the beach had already diminished in size by about a metre. After the rough seas of the last few days, it appears to have been whittled down to almost its original size. Critics have felt vindicated, saying the project was literally a case of throwing taxpayer money down the drain. On the face of it, it is...