Dear Editor,
Lighting fires in public and causing inconvenience, like noise nuisance, is a serious health hazard, which is also illegal, and people can be fined and jailed by the law enforcement authorities.
In addition to causing asthma, and other lung ailments, fires lighted in the open also affect blood circulation, can cause heart ailments, and mental illness and depression, and so much more.
The Guyana Chronicle of Sept. 21, reports on page 12, that a woman, “Alexis Lindy-Fraser was fined for lighting fire that annoyed neighbour”. She claimed she was burning bramble.
Kaieteur News of Oct 7th reports that “Fire service overwhelmed with outdoor calls.” In addition, to the dangers and health hazards, the Fire Chief, Mr. Marlon Gentle said: “……according to City’s by-laws, it is wrong to set fire in any other place than a kitchen. “ The Fire Chief also added that persons can be prosecuted for indiscriminately setting fires. Like noise, fires in open areas other than a kitchen are also a criminal offence, and one can be jailed for it. Therefore I warn the citizens of Happy Acres to stop lighting fires by the canal in their area, especially those in the front areas, next to the canal, across my residence, and across the Starlite Drive In areas. I will file criminal complaints against them, and make video recordings and photographs in order to support my complaint. But there are others in the area of Happy Acres who light nasty, huge indiscriminate fires that make the citizens of Atlantic Gardens ill, and cause the old and the sick to suffer, even children are affected. People cannot use their compounds, and backyards because of smoke, and houses are filled with smoke, causing every part of the house to smell of nasty fires as if the house was on fire. People’s paint works get affected, and babies suffer according to information from citizens.
Some of these culprits are prominent and wealthy people who can hire Puran Bros, Cevons or the NDC of Better Hope, or the donkey cart operators, any of whom who will charge a small sum to clear their brambles, grass and nasty diseased garbage, which they prefer to light up and cause us in Atlantic Gardens to suffer. Do they not think of other people? Why do they always light fires in a manner that it blows away from their homes and never affect them. I always wonder why human beings, fellow citizens are so cruel and wicked, caring only for themselves. But if someone lights in front of their homes, and affects them, they get annoyed.
While praying at our Friday services at the MYO building, I can see, on every second Friday, the Guyana Industrial Training College, lighting a most huge fire that engulfs the entire Lamaha St residence and all the citizens of Alberttown and Queenstown. Does the principal have no concern for the health of people? Will he like to go across the street, with his management, and see what it’s like for the citizens there, every time they light up?
I have seen employees and guards of NCN suffer, and citizens of Hadfield Street, D’urban Street and others suffer, many with asthma and hypertension, but it seems that the management of the Botanical Gardens care not about human beings and more about burning their grass and waste They do not know how to make ‘mulch,’ with cut grass. Maybe they can start a business making mulch and mixing with manure and sell as plant food, while making money.
Low and behold, I have seen in the Vlissengen Rd area by Barr Street, Lamaha St, and Camp Ayanganna, the Ministry of Public Works contractor cut grass and light such huge fires that make us in Georgetown look like the Caribbean’s largest garbage dump. When I spoke to a most prominent person of the Ministry, he said, they were told to burn in the drains, which I could not understand the reason for burning in the dried out trench. That smoke affected hundreds of students in the street who were awaiting transportation. I am surprised the solders did not complain and the citizens of Kitty, I pitied them. The most prominent citizen of the Ministry said they had a disposal problem. To me as a citizen that sounded like a strange answer, which because of respect for the gentleman, I do not wish to use the words that my mind conjures up to answer him. I had to bow my head and shake it in shame.
In the not too distant past, like the pains of noise nuisance, the Hon. Minister of Home Affairs published numerous notices about the illegality and dangers of outdoor fires. It is my hope again that he will start such a campaign and start publishing names of offenders in the press, and instruct the Commanders to instruct their ranks to institute charges when complaints are made of fires, regardless of the offender, be it even a Ministry of the Government or any citizen.
It never ceases to amaze me how inconsiderate some people are. Even more amazing, and shameful when they light their fires, it is never to inconvenience themselves. I recall once when one lady in Happy Acres lighted up, but God seems to have wanted to teach her a lesson, and changed the direction of the wind, and in turn the smoke engulfed her own home and she jumped like a banshee in heat, running to and fro to out the fire. Notwithstanding, she continues to light up and affect us, despite numerous personal complaints from this writer and bringing the police to warn her. I will now ensure charges are laid by the police. We have a right to enjoy our weekends and evenings without smoke from fires blazing in our nostrils, filling our lungs, making us ill, and affecting our homes and our lives as a family, and as members of the citizenry of Atlantic Gardens.
Yours faithfully,
Roshan Khan
(Citizen of Atlantic Gardens)
