APNU MP Volda Lawrence is to move a motion at Thursday’s sitting of the National Assembly calling on the government to embark on a massive effort to restore the capital to its long cherished title of the Garden City.
The resolve clause of the motion calls on the government to:
“Utilize every machinery, work force, and agencies at its disposal and command in conjunction with the Georgetown City Council, Members of the National Assembly, the business and commercial sector, NGOs, Clubs and citizens in the removal of garbage, abandoned vehicles and builders waste as well as the de-siltation of canals and alleyways over the next three (3) months in an effort to “Restore Georgetown to the Garden City of the Caribbean”; and
“(ii) That the Government establishes a Committee consisting of Members of Parliament, Officials of the Georgetown City Council, Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and the Ministry of Transport and Hydraulics to monitor the progress of the restoration of Georgetown and report to the National Assembly within four (4) months of the establishment of the Committee.”
The recital to the motion noted the severe pressure that the expanded boundaries of the city has placed on its drainage. She stated in the recital: “In addition the heavy siltation of canals, the dumping of refuse and various other kinds of items which block drains, the lack of maintenance of the outfall channels have all led to poor drainage of the city”.
Lawrence also argued that garbage collection and disposal have reached a critical level and that large amounts of garbage are being dumped all over the city creating health hazards.
She also argues in the motion that many construction sites continue to block drains and dispose of waste on city parapets, creating stagnant pools of water that encourage the breeding of mosquitoes.
The APNU MP also stated that the Georgetown City Council is unable to fulfil its mandate in the cleaning up the city “due to the severe under-collection of taxes, rents and fees as well as the miserly subvention received from Central Government”.
