Dear Editor,
‘Georgetown, my Garden City/Land of beauty and brains’
The above seems to capture an era long gone, sigh! I was visiting Guyana and was caught in the heavy downpour of rain on Wednesday June 6, 2012, and was immediately ashamed to be called a child of Guyana. What has happened to my beautiful city? I rave over the beauty of Georgetown to my present countrymen and urge them to take a trip to this Paradise, but now I shall hold my tongue.
This was once a place of great beauty and intelligent people. What surfaced from the floodwaters tells me to what extent this country has changed.
As children we were taught not to throw garbage on the street, not even a piece of paper. Now with the amount of styrofoam cups and plastic bottles clogging the drains and waterways I think everyone has gone blind, and that values and pride have no place amongst them. Where are the leaders of the county, members of Parliament, the city council? Is there garbage collection? Why are there so many piles of garbage around the city? Has anyone ever heard of garbage bins which are cleared regularly?
What is the Ministry of Health doing? Are they waiting for an epidemic before they insist on cleanliness? Why are people sinking to such low depths? Is Georgetown becoming the worst place to visit?
When the Europeans laid out the city water flowed from the drains into the trenches into the river and so on; has development clogged these waterways? If so where are the brains of the planners? Are they seeing in the future? Where are the technocrats? Are they really who they say they are? Financial resources are so limited, so why not use them wisely?
On the way to the airport last week, I spotted the filling in of the trench along the East Bank road with white sand; I understand it’s a road in the making. Where will the waste water from the land drain?
Why is the road extension so near the Demerara River? Could someone throw some light on all the above?
Could our planners think of posterity and develop the country so that our present and future citizens could enjoy life in the city?
I am someone who still loves the country of my birth.
Yours faithfully,
Elsie Bose
