Public health, other infringements abound in Georgetown

Jan 22, 2016 News

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– City tour proves revealing

By Mondale Smith
Several startling realities have been unearthed which must be addressed by City Hall, if all and sundry are to be taken seriously about plans to make Georgetown “green and clean”.
Mayor Hamilton Green has expressed hope that people will understand that handling the affairs of the city at all levels is serious business.
He made this assertion after he led a team comprising Deputy Mayor Patricia Chase Green and other officials, including City Engineer Colvern Venture, on a tour of several sections of the nation’s capital yesterday.
The tour was organized to determine what works were completed, to identify defectors, and the conditions, according to the Mayor “which are still suffocating and frustrating a total picture and symmetry of what we seek to do”.
According to the City Engineer, drainage works are ongoing in South and North Cummingsburg, however complaints are plentiful about silted drains leading to stench and flooding which directly affects business places.
Guyana Water Inc. has so far been pinpointed as the reason for the sewage situation. But while promises were given that efforts would be made to remedy the situation, some officials opined that the company was also breaking several public health as well as other codes.
INFRINGEMENTS ABOUND IN ALBERTTOWN…WARNINGS FOR RESTAURANT
Several sections of the city were covered yesterday, including Alberttown and it was obvious that even within the current city administration, there are certain weaknesses that could lead to major public health hazards at food outlets where sewage and grease are being deposited wantonly into the drainage system.
One such was the reality of the Delicious Chinese Restaurant and Fast Food at Cummings and Quamina Streets, where sewage and grease are being deposited directly into the drain in front of the establishment.
As part of efforts to treat with the glairing infringement, city Public Relations Officer Debra Lewis said Environmental health officers will be ordered to inspect and serve notices on the restaurant, immediately following which, if efforts are not made to correct the situation the business will be ordered closed.
Another infringement was noted at the adjacent GuyWill Ship International, which is currently constructing a bridge that has concrete deposited in the drains, blocking the free flow of water in the drains, adding to flooding in the community.
Addressing the issue, Mayor Green said “the restaurant will be warned in the first instance and will be given an opportunity to put things right. If they don’t we will close them down.”
As the tour continued several other serious infringements which some officers should have discovered some time ago, were observed, such as blatant blockage of drains through bridges built above and below the approved height.
Contracts for desilting have been issued for Alberttown, the City Engineer told Ian Yansen, a resident of Alberttown who resides at Light and Fourth Streets.
“It’s been more than 18 years since this drain has been silted and flooding with no clearing,” Yansen told the Mayor and his entourage.
Additionally there were also buildings that were way too close to each other.
When quizzed about these observations, Mayor Green expressed agreement that generally it was noticed that there is also a worrying situation of indiscipline from both the citizenry as well as within the walls of City Hall.
The chief citizen resolved that his council and enforcers will be speaking to those persons soonest.
“We have spoken to some already and hope that at the end of the day, literally and metaphorically, we will get citizens and business people to come on board in our shared vision to make for a Green Guyana, in keeping with what the President calls this year “a year of renaissance”, a revival, a renewal…. What some officers should have discovered before we found out today and we have spoken to them.”
Further, yesterday the Mayor and his team observed that there was a bit of equipment that has been idle for two weeks and through intervention it was put back into operation immediately.
DESTRUCTION OF TREES AT AN END …
Notable also was the reality of the destruction of trees, that fuelled complaints and resulted in meetings last week with professional and experienced concerned persons.
“That would be at an end… we will plan how to preserve greenery to make the city a beautiful place. The contractors have been given instructions that they should not touch any trees or any plant, and I have told the Town Clerk this. If they don’t adhere to this they will be blacklisted. “
SQUATTERS TO BE GIVEN NOTICE TO REMOVE
Meanwhile residents who are squatting at Turkeyen on Government’s Reserve and private land as well as a growing squatter community in East La Penitence area will be issued notices to remove, failing which they will be evicted.
Following the visit yesterday to the latter community, the Mayor said after assessing the situation the squatters who were allegedly given permission by a former PPP/C Member of Parliament will ultimately have to remove as they are reportedly contributing to an unhealthy environment through the unsafe disposal of fecal matter etc.
“I assume as they told us some time ago, a number of them have already applied to the Central Housing and Planning Authority. We will have to cross check it… We don’t want to be brutal, but we have to be firm. The land is earmarked as a recreational area and  also to house a Community Centre.

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