Dear Editor,
Every weekend, in the afternoons, I take my dog for a walk along the seawall between Camp Street and the Round House (opposite the Pegasus). The Round House is a wreck, with vagrants polluting this historic landmark, and every week I shake my head in frustration, not only on my behalf, but for the citizens who crowd this section of the wall, trying to enjoy a pleasant afternoon.
My dog, Will, an English Border Collie, loves to run after a ball in the surf and on the beach when the water is in, but with all the garbage littering the beach area around the band-stand to the Round House (it’s gotten worse), I refuse to let him play any more in that area as it is downright dangerous to his health. In that whole general area, the garbage accumulation is ridiculous, but no-one seems to care.
I have, on numerous occasions, talked to different elderly folks who love it out there, but they cry out for a little concern from the authorities to fix that area and maintain it effectively. These elderly citizens sit on broken-down, cheap, plastic (PVC) benches, which need to be replaced and multiplied for the comfort of all and sundry, but no-one seems to care.
As one walks in the same area mentioned above, the number of stray dogs simply boggles the mind, because any stray dog is a threat to citizens, especially children. Ask any vet and you’d know how dangerous to our general health these dogs are. They leave behind faeces and urine all over the area, most of them have infections and they are a general nuisance. One never knows what dogs in a pack can do, but no-one seems to care.
After 6pm, this area has no street lights on, even though there are street light fixtures. Imagine, for our children and elderly, no light – just darkness! And citizens enjoy sitting until after 7pm to enjoy the breeze and the lights from the boats in the ocean with the sounds of the ocean and wind. Crime is everywhere and our citizens at the seawall have no proper street lights to protect them, but no-one seems to care.
Editor, the city government and Mr Lall, the Local Government Minister are quite familiar with the area to which I am referring, but it seems to me that they just don’t care about the welfare of the many citizens who are just out to enjoy an afternoon with their friends or family.
And all that talk from the Ministry of Tourism about attracting tourists, when just outside the Pegasus, (the main tourist hotel) garbage, stray dogs and broken-down benches litter the landscape. A landscape which could be rendered so beautiful by just paying attention to peoples’ needs and to the general welfare of that area: a bob-cat to clean the debris off the beach, with proper garbage disposal at least twice a week and fresh white sand just in front the wall, along with destroying the stray animals, and maybe the Police Band in the bandstand on Saturdays and Sundays, as in the old days. All the relevant authorities should be ashamed of themselves, but no-one seems to care.
That is why all those citizens who love the seawall and see a better way should consider changes in the next elections as of the utmost importance, because the seawall area is symptomatic of the general disorder, chaotic conditions and a ‘don’t care’ attitude exhibited by those politicians in authority; we all have to vote to change these people who just don’t care about our basic needs. These politicians all talk over our heads about the ‘big’ things, but the ‘little’ things that we care about are never on their agenda, never! All we get is talk, talk and more talk but no-one seems to care.
Editor, I still go to that area with my dog, but as I walk along the wall, Will constantly pulls on the leash in the direction of the ocean, smelling the clean, blowing wind and longing to go and run after a ball in the dirty, filthy beach area. I wish I could, but I cannot let him go…
Yours faithfully,
Cheddi (Joey) Jagan (Jr)
