-fish stalls broken down
Minister of Local Government Kellawan Lall while on a visit to the Meadow Bank area on Tuesday to assess the impact of flooding in the area, ordered that all fishing boats in the area be removed so that drainage works can be carried out to prevent future flooding.
According to a GINA release, the flooding is caused by the fishing boats preventing access to the canal’s koker to facilitate its repair and cleaning. This work on the canal is seen as critical since heavy rainfall could cause more flooding in the area.
Lall advised the fishermen to meet with the Minister of Agriculture to arrive at a permanent solution since the boats will be prohibited from the canal.
The recent flooding in the area had affected several residents and posed a health risk to their households.
In a related development, officers of the City Constabulary yesterday broke down several popular fish stalls located nearby. The demolition exercise began at 9:30 am and stallholders charged that they were not given any notice of the impending exercise. They lamented what they said was the unfairness of the exercise since most of them have been vending in the area for many years. One vendor, Roma Boodhoo, 48 years, and a widow queried “How I gun survive?” With tears in her eyes, she said that she takes care of her son, 11 years, and grandson, aged 4. She said that her son was sitting the Common Entrance next year and wondered where she will get money from to send him to lessons and take care of both of them.
She said, “I don’t know what these people want me to do.”
Another stallholder, Graceann Lewis said she had to beg the officials to spare her stall. She was given an extension until Saturday. She added the majority of the stall owners are poor people and “they don’t know what they gun do.”
The area originally housed about 11 stands, only three remain. The area is known to be a hive of activity in the mornings.
In the aftermath of the demolition, persons were just standing around pondering their next move.
