Dear Editor,
We villagers of Belvedere, Corentyne face endangerment to our health at the hands of a self- interested businessman [name supplied].
Our anger, frustration, sickness and disgust cannot be suppressed any more, since over the past years numerous complaints have fallen on deaf ears. Complaints were made to the Public Health Inspector, but to no avail.
The businessman’s chicken outlet is right at the head of our street, and hundreds of live chickens are brought from his farm on a daily basis and slaughtered at the outlet. However, the waste from his operations is improperly disposed of, and as the wind blows we face an unbearable stench of blood, chicken faeces and dead chicken at various stages of decomposition, etc. Unfortunately, these environmental hazards do not end there. The dirty remains of these chickens are visible in the drains, and any time it rains the water pushes these body parts, feathers, guts, etc, into our yards making our homes a breeding ground for bacteria and toxins.
This odour nuisance, water and land pollution has become a real threat to our existence. It can lead to health conditions of the skin, eyes and ears. In addition, waterborne diseases such as diarrhoea can be caused by the polluted water emanating from this risky outlet operation. Our children suffer greatly from this health hazard.
We are calling on the EPA and the relevant authorities to immediately investigate this health threat and give us some relief. We, the residents are also planning a picketing exercise in front of the businessman’s chicken outlet at Belvedere should there be a failure to address our concerns.
The consideration of profit should not take precedence over health concerns.
Yours faithfully,
Deowattie Gopaul
Latchman Mohabir
And other affected residents
Editor’s note
We are sending a copy of this letter to the Director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Dr Indarjit Ramdass, for any comment he might wish to make.
