Facing a slow death from the rice farmers

Sep 29, 2018 Letters

Dear Editor
I saw a letter titled “Mud and Dust pollution on the EBE” in this week’s edition of your newspaper. I wish to commend the authors for highlighting to everyone the problems we, the residents of East Bank Essequibo, face with this pollution.
At the moment of typing this letter, my skin is full of rashes and is so itchy. My family as well as my neighbours is facing the same problems. Some are currently suffering from severe cough and allergies. We visit the health Centre and are told that our suffering is because of the dust that is now contaminating our food, water, sticking to our skin and clothes, etc.
We were given topical medicines that offer little or no relief. We were advised to stay indoors and make sure our houses are well sealed. We were advised to keep our kids away from this dust. But how can we be indoors during the day when the heat is so much? How much of us have well sealed houses?
How long should we keep our doors and windows locked? How can we protect ourselves when the clothes that we wash and put to dry are coated with dust? How can we keep our kids away from this dust?
Going to or coming from school or even playing in the yard they are made to suffer because of inconsiderate rice farmers. Our poor babies and elderly are getting sick. Please Ministry of Health, EPA, Ministry of Agriculture, RDC #3, NDC, commander of D division, etc what kind of relief can we get from this dust pollution?
These rice farmers are jeopardizing our health and comfort! They don’t care about the consequences of their evil actions!!! Why should the entire stretch from Vergenoegen to Bushy Park allow these farmers to slowly kill us and our families?
Are the government and or other relevant bodies waiting for a violent protest? Maybe we the residents need to come together, block the dam heads and burn some tyres to get our pleas across. Or maybe beat some farmers or damage their equipments for making us suffer so much.
For years rice farmers have been taking advantage of our silence!!! We are suffering. This dust is slowly killing us. Soon it will kill other road users in the night because when the dust rises and creates a dusty blanket vehicle drivers have to pull in the corner and wait for it to settle before proceeding.
How many traffic cops pass and see tractors fling mud off the tyres on the public road? What are they doing about it? Why are these farmers not being charged? By the time this rice harvesting and preparation season is over, some of us may have to start depending on lifelong allergy and rash medication or take up permanent beds at the GPHC.
Please someone, anyone, please help us. Those in authority please visit the villages on the EBE and listen to our pleas. Please come and see what we are going though.
Please Mr Commander of D Division; do something about these uncertified and unlit tractors that are polluting our roadways.
Regards,
Anna Singh

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