Dear Editor,
Many Guyanese of my generation view any talk of a railroad with nostalgia, as we fondly remember the days of the train. Railways are a necessary component in any development strategy, but should not be used as an election year tease. The recent announcement by the President of plans to build a rail line to connect communities along the coast is just talk. Where is the feasibility study to support this project? Where will we find the funding and who is going to run the railway? With the cost of gasoline skyrocketing, a railway is an easy sell, but we must be honest with ourselves and with our constituents, and more important, provide leadership.
Editor, I am all for railways; I think that no country can fully embrace modernity and not have an efficient rail system. Guyana’s geography however must be taken into consideration when our planners look at major infrastructure projects. Over the last two hundred years our development has been centred on the narrow strip of coastland that we all know is below sea level. Climate change and rising sea levels, poor irrigation and sea defences have left coastal residents at the mercy of the weather and the sea. Flooding on the coast is now commonplace and it is only a matter of time before we face a catastrophic event. The year 2005 should have been a wake-up call for all Guyanese, but instead as the waters subsided so did the sense of urgency.
The time has come for our leaders to engage the population in a conversation about moving west to high ground. We must have a debate on the wisdom of continuing to restrict our development and major infrastructure to the coast. We must have a dialogue on housing, population planning and implement programmes and policies that prioritize hinterland development with the building of hinterland cities. We must be bold and innovative and educate the nation on climate change and its effect on those who live in low-lying areas. To continue to have massive development projects on the coast is shortsighted and gambling with nature.
Editor, if we are going to build railways, let us build railways to the hinterland, along the cattle trails linking Region Six and Region Nine, or from Region Ten to Region Nine. A railway from Lethem to Linden, that can move freight and people, will give us more bang for our buck, than a railway from Diamond to Mahaica. The present congestion on the East Bank and the government plans to award more house lots and build more roads in what are essentially flood plains is questionable. In an election year, these goodies and promises are meant to electrify the base and win new converts, but in terms of development strategy this shows a bankruptcy of ideas. It’s time for change, and bold new leadership that can think beyond Soesdyke.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Archer
