Chaguanas Borough needs better facilities

THE EDITOR: I should be much obliged if you would kindly print my letter concerning the Mayor and Councillors of the Chaguanas Borough.

The Mayor had invited the Burgesses to a meeting on Friday January 9, 2004 primarily to discuss, (1) The collection of garbage in the inner borough of Chaguanas and (2) Developing a policy for street vending. Although the Mayor is resident, I do not think that he can administer as effectively as he would like to. As a consequence, he is pleading for assistance. I am sure that he is anxious to get on with the job of improvements as urgently as possible.

The collection of garbage, an annoying task indeed, is a job that needs more brawn than skill. Businessmen must be equipped with bins of sufficient size to accommodate their needs. All waste must be put in bags for easy transfer to waiting vehicles. Bins must be strategically placed so as to be always readily available to pedestrians.  Punishment must be seriously meted out to those who litter our streets. In shops and restaurants where food is sold, particular care must be displayed in the disposal of unwanted items. Such are culpable offences and people must be made aware. In some countries, these acts are punished without warning. Since our Mayor is anxious to get on with the work and he desires to be made aware of matters affecting the safety of all, I must draw his attention to Eleanore Street where the pavement is dangerously cracked and broken in several places.

Shattered slabs of concrete are inadequate to cover exposed stretches of stagnant water, which encourage the breeding of mosquitoes, frogs and other amphibians. I reside on Eleanore Street, a place I see every day and am forced to regard with disgust. I am sure there are many streets similarly afflicted. Another major problem afflicting the very busy area of Chaguanas proper is the need for public toilets. The lack of these amenities poses a very glaring and embarrassing problem for the Borough. May I suggest the implementation of a system whereby one pays a nominal fee for the use of clean facilities. Although WASA is a state responsibility, I am nevertheless pleading with the Mayor for his intercession on my behalf and on behalf of many others. We suffer badly for water every day. Between the hours of 7 am and 8 am, the supply is good. But between the most-needed hours of 8 am to 6 pm, the taps are dry.

I have reported this matter to WASA on several occasions, but to no avail. I do not wish to emphasise the absolute danger of not having a supply for such long hours. I shudder to think of what misfortune will follow if a house catches on fire during these hours. We do not have a shortage of water in our reservoirs and a lack of supply could not be attributed to conservation by WASA. We need help. Mr Mayor, I thank you for the job you have done so far and I hope that you take my grievances in the spirit in which they were intended — that is to provide a better quality of life for all people of Chaguanas. God bless.

SALER AMEERALI
Chaguanas