In observation of World Environment Day 2015, the Lions Clubs of Georgetown collectively embarked on a clean-up of the seawall as opposed to their traditional “tree planting exercises, and school agricultural promotions.”
According to a press release from the Mayor and City Council (M&CC), the Lions clubs collaborated with the M&CC and “carried out a clean-up exercise along the Georgetown seawalls.” The District Chairperson for Public Relations of the Lions Club, Lynette Baird Fiedtkou said, “this year the organisation took a decision to join other groups to participate in the ongoing clean-up campaign.” In observation, Fiedtkou said, “there is a need for street bins,” and believes, “If people had bins to put their litter then the seawall would have less garbage.”
Re-emphasising the clubs’ decision, was the Environmental Coordinator of the activity, Blossom Manbodh Samuels, who said, “the membership observed the nationwide clean-up exercise and decided that they should become involved as lions also focus on care of the natural environment.”
Mayor Green expressed his delight in the number of young persons joining the effort but simultaneously noted, “there are persons working assiduously to help restore Georgetown to [its] former healthy state but there are those who want to continue with unfriendly environmental habits.” Due to this, the Mayor said, “Council will have to employ the carrot and stick approach for those who refuse to cooperate and respect the collective effort of citizens to clean up their surroundings.”
“If people break the rules they must be fined.” Further, he said, “there is a need for higher penalties to halt the wanton disposal of garbage.” Of greater note, the Mayor said he is “optimistic” that what is happening in Georgetown would continue but there is a need for a “massive education programme.”
