Littering major cause of flooding
Kaieteur News
January 20, 2007
Even as efforts are a being made by the Ministry of Agriculture to ensure that Guyana does not suffer from another major flooding, several appeals are being made to residents to desist from indiscriminately littering their environment.
According to Agriculture Minister Robert Persaud, continuous efforts are made by the Health and Local Government Ministries as well as the National Drainage and Irrigation Board to educate citizens on the importance to keep their environment clean.
This, Minister Persaud moots, would not only address the issue of public health but will help in the Agriculture Ministry's efforts to combat floods.
He noted that often citizens' callous actions have negatively impacted on drainage improvement efforts.
He revealed that there are instances where people dump refuse such as tyres, leading to damage to several pumps placed strategically to prevent flooding.
Minister Persaud posits that if it becomes necessary his Ministry will embark on education programmes directed at educating citizens on proper disposal of their waste.
And though challenged by unyielding habits of some citizens to refrain from littering their environment, Minister Persaud believes that his ministry is adequately prepared to combat floods.
City Mayor Hamilton Green at a recent press conference also shared similar sentiments as the Agriculture Minister, noting that Guyanese must strive to rid themselves of a littering culture.
Mayor Green stressed that the actions of littering seems to be embedded in some people, causing them to re-litter areas almost immediately after they are cleaned.
As the Minister of Agriculture claims, several City Council officials have lamented the fact that indiscriminate littering has had adverse affects in Council's efforts to prevent the city from flooding.
The City Council only recently intensified its efforts to keep the city clean, where a clean-up crew frequent the city markets removing any garbage or obstruction in and around.
In addition to this effort the Council has also contracted the cleaning-up of the Bourda Market to a private firm in its continued effort to rid the city of an accumulation of waste.