The Mayor and the drainage system

Aug 05, 2019 Editorial

Media reports are of Georgetown Mayor, Ubraj Narine, speaking glowingly of the city’s drainage system. It is a dangerous undertaking, this early, and the mayor is well-advised to tread more carefully, given the experiences of many residents, as well as the realities on the ground.
His Lordship is quoted in the press as saying, “Now we are seeing a system that works with a smooth flow, the constant rainfall poses almost no threat, no more ‘stagnant water’….” Though this invites the sharp challenge of a blunt retort, a more subdued note is taken. It is because the mayor did not do himself or his office any favours, through what would have been well-received, if the assertions were on the money.
Most, if not all, city residents and commuters would rush to embrace this most attractive set of circumstances with regards to flooding in the city.
It is helpful to revisit and dissect Mayor’s Narine’s position. First is that there is “a system that works.” Something is wrong with that rosy picture, as it bears no correlation to the waterlogged regions in the capital that regularly follow a deluge and cry out to the contrary.
Not too long ago, a mere couple of months ago, the downpours and characteristic resulting swamps in town led to the hurried defense of malfunctioning pumps.
To be fair, what is present today is better than what prevailed in the years before the mayor’s arrival; but then again, anything is better when the years of chronic indifference, neglect and mismanagement are remembered. It is better; but, to be accurate, only marginally so.
Much more was expected, since it is now over four years from the time of change, engagement of Dutch consultants, and optimisms over visions, systems and implementations. There is much, for one reason or another (many not so commendable) that have not happened. The conclusion, therefore, has to be that the system, whatever it is, still has much dry ground to retake (no pun intended).
The second area of departure with this well-meaning, well-regarded mayor is when he reports that “the constant rainfall poses almost no threat….” To hurting and resentful city residents this is the equivalent of either serious glossing over or rank exaggeration of the facts and situations.
There is little basis for anyone to tender such a bold, far-reaching statement. Far-reaching it is, but not for those families who live in Alberttown and parts of Queenstown and Newtown; or those who have to use the emergency entrance to the Georgetown Hospital, as well as the makeshift planks rapidly put before channels leading to (well-used) businesses and places of work.
In the aftermath of the most recent rainfalls, a visit and conversation with those sufferers would have been most revealing as to the true state of things. In a few words: wet, bedraggled, disgusted, and miserable. Without a doubt, there are fewer places, lesser acreage, and lesser people impacted than before, and for a lesser time when the rains come.
These developments speak for themselves, for as the mayor pointed out, “we have a faster runoff time.” That is a fair statement; the problem is that this cannot be said throughout the city, since acute distress still is the norm in enough sections.
The waters are too wide and too deep in some of those very same precincts named earlier; much more work must be accomplished before the statements attributed to the mayor could hold water.
Credit is given for “Cleaning and management of garbage disposal.” Yet, it is too early to pronounce on consistency, meaning reliability. Also, positives about greater collaboration with many other agencies, public and private, can only be helpful, and is encouraged.
All things considered, some work has been done, with a lot more demanded. There is watchfulness and hopefulness. Mayor Narine has garnered lots of good feeling; he must ensure that he builds on this accurately, devotedly..

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