Dear Editor,
As a resident and taxpayer living in Agriculture Road, that leads to the Guyana School of Agriculture and NAREI, I am concerned about some issues. I observed on the exact day of the local government elections a hymac and dragline were digging the trench on the left hand side of the road. I also saw a small hymac digging some trenches in Block 8 where my church is located. To be honest, in over 12 years these people from the NDC never dug a trench here or cleaned the sides of the road which has tall black sage bushes, but they came suddenly the day of the local government elections. What were they trying to prove? I guess they were trying to get votes for their personal laziness and incompetence.
Just as the local government elections were over, I noted with a great deal of interest a new road was built through Market Street that leads up to the BV/Triumph NDC. Now that these new people are in power they are only concerned about themselves and do nothing for the residents in this road. The trench on the right hand side of this road has not been dug in 15 years; the BV/Triumph NDC is responsible for this trench. It is very dirty and shallow, and just one hour of rain will flood the entire place, but no one at the NDC is concerned. From Fiber Tech Industry going back, this trench is like the gateway to hell; it is filled with big bushes and trees so that a car could drive over it very easily, and it harbours dangerous snakes and alligators. Not long ago I killed a dangerous 12-foot snake which came out of this trench up my verandah shed.
Now in a situation of constant rain the water in this trench is stagnant; it goes nowhere. The water in my yard drains has not moved for over 5 days now. I am calling on the relevant authority at the NDC to get this trench dug immediately.
We have another hazard in this road in the form of huge potholes. Just opposite NAREI is a big pothole like a little trench; the middle of this road is broken in two because of a huge pothole. If one drives on this road when it rains one is left in these holes. Not long ago a car bounced off a hole and dropped into the big trench; luckily residents saved the driver. The Chairman and administrators of the NDC and the administrators at NAREI drive along this road daily but it doesn’t bother them. Only when the Agriculture Minister or the President is coming to the Guyana School of Agriculture will I see those at NAREI or the NDC hustling to throw some sand in the potholes.
Why hustle to build when someone in authority is coming? These educated folk could make representation to the Ministry of Public Infrastructure to resurface the bad spots, but they just turn a blind eye to it until it gets worse.
Most of our roads are badly damaged because no one is maintaining them. What I see in this country is that we leave things to be destroyed when they could have been rescued and repaired before they completely collapse.
Most accidents in this country are caused by bad roads and not speeding alone. When will someone fix these dangerous potholes in Agriculture Road? Maybe only when a great accident occurs. If we can’t dig trenches and fix basic roads then how are we going to govern this whole country? Very soon we will have to offer a new degree at the University of Guyana to drive in Guyana ‒ a PhD (Doctor of Potholes).
I am calling on the NDC to get these trenches cleared or residents will be flooded out; I am calling on NAREI to make representation to get this road fixed immediately. Most of the flooding we now see is caused by negligent and incompetent NDCs so why are we really paying taxes? Guess we are paying to be flooded out.
I am calling on the Minister of Public Infrastructure to get the Agriculture Road repaired and other relevant authorities to address this garbage dump by dealing with the residents living there who make this environment a living hell for those walking and driving on the road.
Yours faithfully,
Rev Gideon Cecil
