Dear Editor,
It was revealed in the local press with a lot of fanfare that the ambassadors/high commissioners of Canada, United States, the EU and UK were on a clean-up campaign in the city. These gentlemen were just seeking cheap publicity as it appears that they do not have much to do at their respective embassies. This is not the first time that diplomats tried this publicity-seeking stunt as it was done some years ago without any success. Social groups also tried to clean up the city in the past without any success.
The cleaning and maintenance of the city lies with the city council and the citizens of Georgetown. The city council has failed in their mandate and they are solely responsible for the state of the garbage city. No amount of volunteer work by these diplomats can help the city to be cleaned. These diplomats just select one part of the city for their publicity stunt and now they are finished. If these diplomats were serious about cleaning up the city they should have arranged with their respective governments for donations such as cleaning equipment, garbage trucks and money to be paid to private contractors. Holding a spade in the hand with expensive clothing and taking photographs will not help clean the city.
Besides, this campaign by the diplomats is a reflection on the Mayor and City Council and the Government of Guyana as it shows that the city council and the government are incapable of cleaning the city.
Heavy fines should be imposed on anyone littering and the laws should be enforced. Everyone should have the responsibility for maintaining their own environment; defaulters who fail to do so should be given a heavy fine or imprisonment. It is the city council, the Government of Guyana and the Georgetown citizens who should be responsible for maintaining a clean city and not foreign diplomats.
Yours faithfully,
Balwant Persaud
