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Bourda market vendors peeved at conditions
As heavy torrential rainfall continues to hit the coastland, vendors of the Bourda Market have expressed concerns about the despicable sanitation. They say that they are forced to work under severe conditions
A clogged drain filled with all sorts of waste
when heavy rainfall transforms the market into a river.
Last Sunday, the market experienced massive flooding due to the heavy rains, garbage build up and clogged drains.
Yesterday, many vendors and stall holders vented their frustrations at the state of the market, especially those conducting business on what was Bourda Green.
The vendors explained that the market is nothing less than a dumpsite, since almost every morning they are greeted by piles of garbage.
A Bourda greens vendor complained that vendors conducting business outside of the market, vagrants and even persons selling along Regent Street, would bring their refuse and dump it in the market at nights when business is closed.
A walk through that section of the market revealed that many drains were clogged with rotten fruit and vegetables, styrofoam boxes, card board boxes and other discarded items. The area was smelly because o the garbage piles.
Almost at every corner there were small piles of rubbish attracting flies and stagnant water. Then there were dozen of vagrants, who could be seen rummaging through garbage piles.
Over, at the other section of the market, the condition was fairly presentable despite the few flooded passageways, clogged drains and foul stench.
A businessman, who declined to give his name, said that after the market flooded, the municipality embarked on a clean-up campaign.
He said that several piles of garbage were removed but insisted that the drains need to be cleared. He said that municipal workers would indeed clean the market but that it is not being done in a timely manner.
He said that the municipality had promised to thoroughly wash the market using a pressure hose from the Guyana Fire Service; however, he said that they are still waiting for this to happen.
Then there were the traders in the market who claimed that they are forced to pay persons to remove their waste at the end of the business day.
Some of them claimed that the market has no cleaners and in spite of this they say that they are mandated to pay their stall rentals.
A few traders who were affected by the floods said that they have suffered major losses.
Andrea Matthews, who operates a grocery stall, said that most of her goods stored on the floor were damaged. “All my things soak. I can’t sell that to people. I losing a lot here and nobody don’t come and check to see how much we losing”, she cried.
She said that they are paying their stall rents with the hope of seeing improvements, but opined that things are getting worse.
Another vendor, who sells fruits, said that every time it rains a little heavy they are confronted with several inches of water.
The woman lamented that every time the market is flooded there is a decrease in sales because many shoppers would refuse to traverse through the flood waters.
When contacted about the situation at the market, Mayor Hamilton Green, said that a “special operation” has been launched by the Director of Solid Waste Management, Walter Narine, to improve the sanitation standards of the market.
Green detailed that the operation is currently ongoing; the people in the operation are trying to clean the market channels.
He added that many stall holders are onboard with the initiative. He went on to say that the municipality and several stallholders have agreed that vendors will place their garbage at a certain point of the market so that it can be disposed of.
The Mayor said that he is looking to reintroduce a policy that was practised before. Green explained that the policy entailed all municipal markets being closed every fortnight, on Wednesday to the public.
This will be to facilitate the cleaning, spraying and sanitizing of the markets.
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