The government has embark-ed on a robust exercise in an effort to clean up the country and bring Georgetown back to its glory days when it was referred to as “the Garden city”, according to Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Dr Roger Luncheon.
Speaking to media operatives yesterday at Office of the President, Dr Luncheon said that its recent meeting, cabinet, after considering the state of the environment particularly in Region Four and “in the Garden City”, decided on the “intensification of the ongoing exercise to address environmental pollution in the NDCs and the municipalities…”
According to Dr Luncheon the ongoing exercise coincides with the “early signals of the return of the May/June rainy season in Guyana and coincidentally with the staging of international cricket.” Guyana will host three matches in the International Cricket Council’s Twenty/20 World Cup being staged in the Caribbean.
However, most importantly, he said, is the fact that many are not adhering to environmental practices which has seen the city and its environs being choked with garbage.
“What really is the prime motive though is the poor results of the ongoing attention; the ongoing activity by government and state department agencies in maintaining environmental standards;, standards that were once achieved but have not been maintained,” Dr Luncheon said yesterday.
He singled out squatting, illegal occupancy of road reserves, unkempt road verges and debris filled road sides and drains which he said have all re-appeared at an “unacceptable level, one that we feel at cabinet is likely to distress us and haunt us and ultimately to project the wrong image about Guyana.”
He said the exercise will be spearheaded by Ministry of Public Works & Communications and the Ministry of Agriculture along with non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the private sector.
