Dear Editor,
Are we going to squabble over who is to fix Georgetown and its problems or would the government take the initiative and do something tangible for the business community, the workers and denizens of the city, and indeed all and sundry including the visitors and tourists; or like Emperor Nero, will they fiddle while Rome burns?
Flooding is a threat to people’s lives and should be dealt with urgently. I can suggest several ways to rid Georgetown of its floods, but I know the professional planners, engineers and others have better ideas, so I leave that to them. All I would say, is that rather than explaining why floods exist in Georgetown, fix it.
Floods expose us to the evils of a poor public sanitation service such as the collection and disposal of garbage and litter, which is vital to every community’s well-being. It is not only when the garbage collectors go on strike that our health is threatened. Floods can cause the contamination of drinking water and thus be a threat to personal and community health. Imagine a flooded cemetery, a leaking sewerage system, piles of debris, garbage, etc, all intermingling with water. Come on people let us cooperate and rid the once Garden City of this scourge.
What is happening with the government health agencies, the public health professionals, the community groups, the business community, and the citizens of Georgetown? Are we waiting and watching each other when our very livelihoods and lives are threatened? Prevention is better than cure.
For me, every time there is a night of rain the water rises substantially, and I am inundated both inside and outside my house. My losses are great, the inconvenience is irritating. I sleep with water around my bed. I lose my kitchen garden if the water lodges for three days or more, and that has to be started all over again. Now these are bread and butter issues that affect one’s livelihood. I would prefer to have the authorities solve these matters rather than give me one laptop computer or even two laptops. Wake up Guyana! Let your voices be heard!
Yours faithfully,
Hilmon Henry
