Bartica’s first “green park,” which is one of the key planks in the municipality’s drive to become the first green township, is almost completed, according to Mayor Gifford Marshall.
“We have a timeline of two and a half weeks for completion and so we will be looking to open it soon,” Marshall told Stabroek News yesterday, while noting that 95% of the works have been completed.
The park, located in West Indian Scheme, Bartica, was constructed for approximately $31M by Jagomohan Construc-tion Services.
“It is a very good example of our green initiative and what we mean by greening. We don’t have too many parks in Bartica and the entire project pushes a healthy lifestyle because it is somewhere you can go and do some walkabout and so forth. It incorporates greening and the energy aspect,” Marshall said, while pointing out that the park will be run solely on solar energy.
“It is located in constituency six and it is an open space where residents can relax and enjoy a clean and friendly atmosphere,” he added.
Becoming the first “green town” has been one of the Bartica Town Coun-cil’s main objectives since Bartica was given township status in 2016. As a result, Marshall explained that its goal is to ensure that there is least one open space or park in every constituency in the town.
The mayor also pointed out that the council will be working on developing a “green boulevard” on the river front, which would be similar to the park. “It will be similar to the park but where it is located it will be called a boulevard,” he said, while explaining that it would also be solar powered.
According to Marshall, the council is hoping for the works for the development of the boulevard to begin in August. “The tender for that will close on Tuesday, June 6, and we are hoping to have that started at least in August,” he explained.
Additionally, Marshall highlighted that the municipality will also be “greening” the market. “Present-ly, the market is in need of rehabilitation and we want to have more natural light coming in and less dependency on the power grid,” he explained, while pointing out that since the community does not have a “night market,” the idea of using more natural light instead of electricity will fit right into the green town agenda.
“We also want an integrated waste management system at the market, which will place emphasis on composting and so waste products like cabbage and other rotten stuff don’t have to end up at the dumpsite,” he said.
Currently, Marshall noted, everything goes to the dumpsite in Byderabo, but the council is aiming to equip the market with an integrated waste management system so that it can manage its own waste products. “We are hoping to do that in early 2018 and we will have a market that will be green with the natural lighting and integrated waste management system,” he added.
In addition to “greening the town,” Marshall said that he hopes the green parks and other green initiatives will heavily influence the town’s eco-tourism and will also serve as a model for the other towns around the country.
