Region Two Chairperson Vilma De Silva has said that said that dumping of garbage is the main contributing factor to flooding in the Charity area and that all vendors encroaching on the drainage system in the Charity/Ursara Neighbour-hood Democratic Council (NDC) will be relocated to a nearby tarmac opposite their current vending space.
The Chairperson made these remarks during an interview with the media and said that the garbage situation has become uncontrollable and intolerable, and as a result the Regional Administration, the Charity/Ursara NDC and the Guyana Police Force will be taking stern action to clear and relocate vendors. The current vending area will be converted into a car park. “We can no longer tolerate vendors building stalls over the drainage system. It is blocking the area and garbage is filling the trenches. We need to put a stop to all this and clean the system,” De Silva said.
During a walk around the Charity vending area, it was observed that some vendors built their stalls over a trench which was already filled with garbage.
De Silva said that vendors will be relocated in an orderly manner facing each other. A 10×10 stall will be given to each vendor to continue their trade. The Chair said that that the NDC issued three notices for all offending vendors to move, but that they have all refused. De Silva also said that the area identified for vendors will be asphalted and brought up to standard. Vendors will also have access to a nearby washroom facility. Bins are also readily available around the market area. Acting Overseer of the Charity/ Ursara NDC Rameez Baksh said that notices were issued to the vendors and they were reluctant to move. Baksh said that despite the NDC making available more than enough bins for garbage disposal, none are being used. He said that every Monday, workers attached to the NDC have to collect garbage dumped by vendors.
Baksh also explained that the drainage pump is currently in operation to assist in the draining water of the land. “Even as the pump is working, every 15 minutes the worker has to clear garbage. We have to have someone on site to keep cleaning the garbage so that the pump can work uninterrupted,” Baksh explained.
Vendors to whom Stabroek News spoke with said they were willing to move, providing the new location is nearby. One vendor related she has been vending for 40 years and is uncomfortable with her current stall. “If they give us permission we can build something properly and we can clean the area around us. This is what we doing for years, this is what we support our family with,” the vendor related.
This newspaper observed some stalls had living quarters with vendors living there while occupying spaces whose sizes were larger than that designated for vending. Three persons were recognized as living and vending in the same area, and, it also appeared as if general stores were being operated within vending spaces. This newspaper, however, understands that commencement works on the new vending space was expected to start Wednesday with the expectation that vendors will be all relocated there by November end. This activity is being coordinated by the Region Two RDC with Charity’s NDC and the Guyana Police Force.
