Dear Editor,
In response to the appeal of the new city Mayor, Pandit Ubraj Narine, for residents to work with the City Council and to bring our specific needs to their attention, I wish to speak yet again as one of the long-suffering residents of Queenstown of the ear-splitting and illegal noise nuisance that is Mashramani and the newly founded Carnival in May.
The nuisance does not derive so much from the parade itself even though the decibel levels of noise emitted from the passing floats are surely illegal. The parade, however, moves on down the road. The real noise nuisance comes from the vendors who occupy spots sold by the Mayor & City Council and who put down huge boom boxes all along the parapets and right in front of our homes. Their ear-splitting noise which can shake our homes to their very foundation goes on from morning until late at night.
Trying to call the police at all hours of the night with the hope that one of the departments will respond and shut down the noise only adds to our frustration.
Queenstown is still zoned as a residential area and while the Mashramani parade grew up and developed using the Vlissingen Road/Irving Street carriageways, the noise level has increased as has the duration of the noise due to the M&CC’s sale of vending spots that apparently include allowing vendors to blast raucous noise at lawless levels and for however long they please.
I have attended national parades and street parties in civilised countries. On July 4th in America, the Independence Day parade lasts one or two hours depending on the size of the city or town. It starts on time and passes through the commercial district – not ever through any residential area. People come out to watch the parade – always a decent and civic display of pride – then return to their homes or parks to spend the rest of the day with friends and family.
Here, apparently, the road-top is home and the place to party to all hours. I am hoping that this lawlessness and lack of consideration for others will be addressed by Mayor Narine and that there will be a change of directive to the vendors and to the parade participants regarding their unlawful levels of noise.
I would like to suggest that it is time to have these parades moved to the city’s commercial district and away from any residential areas.
Yours faithfully,
Ryhaan Shah