Latest update January 20th, 2025 4:00 AM
Residents relieved over Le Repentir Cemetery’s upgrade
By: Davina Ramdass
Residents, both near and far to the Le Repentir Cemetery are relieved that the Mayor and City Council is finally doing something about the ‘terrifying’ state that the cemetery has been in for several years.
The announcement of scheduled works for the burial site was announced by the Town Clerk, Royston King, on Friday last at the Council’s conference.
“Council has started the process of restoring the cemetery to a state of beauty, order and cleanliness. This involves a number of activities including removal of overgrowth, undergrowth, long grasses, bushes and the trimming of overhanging trees. Also weeding and clearing of waterways and the upgrading of all roads and foot paths in that facility”.
In addition to these works, the Town Clerk also promised that repairs, and in some cases, reinstalls will be conducted to the fence that surrounds the burial ground.
This project is estimated to cost some $150 million, according to him and will be done under the ‘Emergency Works Clause’, under the Municipal Council and District Act, Chapter 28:01.
He was keen to note that these works come as a result of the reports that were received as it relates to the “movement of dangerous reptiles, criminals secluding themselves in the high bushes and the general unhealthy state of affairs at that facility.
“We are asking all citizens to cooperate with us by respecting that almost sacred place by desisting from littering with emptied beer bottles, fuzzy cans, boxes and other things when they attend funerals,” King said.
It is for this, and other reasons, he informed that security measures will be implemented to the facility in the coming days.
A few residents within the area told Kaieteur News that indeed the Council has been doing some work over the past few days.
So far, works have been done to the Eastern section of the burial ground. Much more work is needed for the other section of the site.
A 42-year old whose only name was given as Gomes said he uses the Cemetery as a ‘shortcut’, like many others, including school children.
A section of the land which was cleared by the Mayor and City Council
The church in Le Repentir Cemetery
Gomes stated, “The weather got them bad cause is only recently they start cleaning up. They did cleaning the cross street them. They start like two weeks ago. Right now, it more better than how it went before, the cross street them what they cleaning, basically before when you use to ride through and this is what we want fuh de children dem.”
In addition this he noted that, “Pun a night, de thief man them is come out fuh rob yuh, but right now how they got the place, when you come through you could see straight through”.
He said that the initiative is an excellent one, and was really necessary especially for the school children who use the road to get to and from school.
“Right now what they could do fuh we is Louisa Row, through the shortcut for the burial ground, they could drop about four lights for we”.
Another resident, Clint Cyrus told Kaieteur News that so far the Council has been doing a “good job” in the Cemetery, given that the area floods during heavy rain and residents they have since not been this time around.
According to Cyrus, “When they grade this place down, we see one one trucks cleaning about two weeks back, but we need at least some people to maintain the Cemetery”.
Cyrus and several others opined that the works which are being conducted at present by the Council could be a waste of time, if the Council fails to continuously do such works. “It got a lot of young people here on the streets they can give jobs,” he said.
The resident added, “We glad cause now we got a lot of people here that does walk through and does fear for their life”.
While on this note, the man pointed out that he hopes the Council can also remove the pile of garbage that has been there for some time now in the burial ground.
He shared the view that others may also dump refuse on the existing heaps.
In September of last year Kaieteur News published an article voicing the concerns of the residents near the burial ground.
They had noted that Le Repentir Cemetery was in an appalling state; overgrown with shrubs, filthy, and a haven for those bent on mischief.
The drains were clogged with grass and garbage, making them the perfect breeding ground for serpents and mosquitoes.
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