Sunday limes at the Golden Beach in Bartica bring with them piles of garbage, especially glass bottles in the water. But the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) has refused to entertain a proposal by vendors to clean up the area even though it says that it is short of staff and finances to properly address the situation.
The state of the Third Avenue beach, which is called “Golden Beach,” was highlighted in a letter to Stabroek News by resident Winston Miller. Miller, in his letter, said that the beach was left littered with glass bottles left by picnickers and persons out to have fun on Sundays. Further, Miller said that the glass bottles pose a hazard to persons who swim in the water, pointing out one case where someone suffered “serious cuts on their feet.” When Stabroek News spoke to Miller over the phone, he said that people on Bartica were “getting fed up” with the garbage situation there. He added further that numerous reports were made to the NDC, which is responsible for collecting garbage but “they don’t clean the place.”
The NDC, Miller said, told him that they cannot do anything about the situation since “they meet it like that and can’t do anything about that.” While Miller pointed out that Bartica has a dump site, he said it is “in a terrible state.” A frustrated Miller said that he was “fed up talking,” calling the garbage situation “sickening.”
Meanwhile, NDC Chairman Jerald Joseph told Stabroek News when contacted recently that the NDC, which shares responsibility of the beach with the Regional Democratic Council (RDC), is short of staff and financially crippled. Joseph bemoaned that the beach had receptacles but stated that persons are not using them and he also reiterated the NDC’s lack of staff and security on the beach to ensure that the patrons of the beach dispose of their garbage properly.
However Joseph said that discussions between the Lion’s Club of Bartica and the NDC were underway last year for the Lion’s Club to manage the beach. He said the arrangement included charging an admission fee to the beach site, noting that the Lion’s would use that money to maintain the beach.
However Holbert Knights, Chairman of the RDC, pointed out that he had had a meeting with vendors who vend at the beach site and they were prepared to contribute to the cleaning of the beach. But he noted that the arrangements had to be settled by the NDC.
The meeting was held last year, he said, and the NDC was informed of the vendors’ willingness but nothing seemed to have been the outcome. When asked if he was aware of the vendors’ willingness to pay towards the cleaning of the beach, Joseph told this paper that he was aware of it but did not follow through with it since it “wouldn’t work.”
Joseph said that he was not going to “waste time” arranging for an agreement between the vendors and the NDC, since he felt that they would eventually break down into bickering among themselves as to who should clean. He added that he preferred to pursue the Lion’s Club deal. However he noted discussions have been on hold since last year, citing “plenty other reasons.”
Meanwhile, Knights sought to clarify that Miller was awarded a contract to pump sand onto the Third Avenue beach. In his letter to Stabroek News on March 4, Miller stated that he filled the beach with sand. Knights said he wanted to make the clarification since Miller gave the impression that it was done free of cost. He was paid to do that, Knights said.
