Prashad Nagar residents up in arms over ‘new dump site’

Jul 26, 2010 News

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Residents of a section of Prashad Nagar are up in arms over what they described as a new dumpsite in their community.
At the centre of the controversy is the presence of derelict heavy duty machinery, including bulldozers, the property of a mining company, which residents are claiming is destroying the aesthetics of the once posh community.
The machinery occupies a portion of land that according to the residents has been earmarked for a recreational facility for children and a parking area for worshippers at the Guyana Central Arya Samaj.

To compound matters another entrepreneur has brought in some huge containers to the same area to facilitate his newspaper export business.
Mrs. Coretta Merai, wife of Assistant Police Commissioner Steve Merai told this newspaper that the presence of such activities in the quiet community poses a risk to children there.
She pointed to the presence of fuel tankers which she said are very dangerous, coupled with the fact that they are destroying the roads which are not designed to accommodate heavy duty traffic.
“It looks like we now have another landfill site. The streets are blocked up much to the annoyance of residents here,” Mrs. Merai told this newspaper.
In addition, she pointed to the security threat posed by the presence of such vehicles and containers, since she argued that criminals could use them as cover to pounce on unsuspecting residents.
When Kaieteur News visited the area, a bull dozer was clearing a section of the area that was earmarked for the recreational facility.
However, the operator indicated that the area was being cleared to facilitate the parking of more heavy duty machinery.
A senior official of the Guyana Central Arya Samaj in Prashad Nagar told this newspaper that, a group from the organisation had visited the Mayor and City Council with a proposal to upgrade a section of the area to accommodate a recreational park for children as well as parking for worshippers.
The official said that they were advised to submit the proposal in writing, since the Council had no objection to such an initiative.
However, that proposal has been put on hold, leading to the present situation in the community.
According to one resident, Deputy Mayor Robert Williams visited the area on several occasions.
“He would go into the compound of the mining company and come out smiling. But everything will remain the same and on some occasions more vehicles would be brought in,” the resident told Kaieteur News.
He indicated that he has spoken to senior officials of the City Engineers Department, who would promise to look into the matter but the situation remains the same.

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Landlord claims police harassment
Colin Andrews, of William Street, Kitty, is alleging that the police are threatening, victimising and harassing him, ever since he made a financial agreement with a previous tenant.
Andrews said that a young lady called Anastasia visited his residence about two months ago enquiring about the rental. She had agreed to rent his lower flat for $20,000 a month.

He said the requirement for rental is three months advance and she was given a receipt.
The landlord said that the woman brought her personal items into the apartment and she returned approximately three hours later stating that she was not interested in the place anymore and if the money can be refunded.
“I told her that I did not have the money right now and she asked if I would sign a paper to this effect, and I said yes. She wrote and I signed that I am going to pay on or before the second of July 2010.”
However, on that day the woman called to enquire if the money was available. “I told her I only have half, she said she don’t want half she want all she money and she hang up.”
Andrews explained that approximately one hour later his two children told him that, “she brought the police”.
“Since then the police have been visiting my home with a lot of threats, and harassing me, the matter is not a criminal one.”
Andrews said that two Sunday nights ago, the police told him that if he doesn’t visit the station, they will issue a search warrant for his home.
“Apart from that, this girl received $25,000 which my nephew gave her on behalf of me. The mistake he make is not take a receipt from her, when I ask her for the receipt she said when I make final payments I will get the receipt.”
“They (Police) visit my house two times a day almost every-day. She has police contacts that terrorise me every-day.”   Andrews said.
“The police would tell my children if I don’t come at the station at a certain time, ‘we gon come back hey and it gon be brutal’ among other things like that.”
He said that since himself and the young lady had a written agreement and he paid a part of the money, the police just keep harassing me.”

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