APNU MP Volda Lawrence is to move a motion at Thursday’s sitting of the National Assembly calling on the government to embark on a major initiative to restore the capital to its long cherished title of ‘The Garden City’ of the Caribbean.
The resolve clause of Lawrence’s motion calls on the government to utilise every machinery, work force, and agencies at its disposal and command in conjunction with the Georgetown City Council, Members of the National Assembly, the business and commercial sector, NGOs, Clubs and citizens “in the removal of garbage, abandoned vehicles and builders waste as well as the de-siltation of canals and alleyways over the next three (3) months in an effort to “Restore Georgetown to the Garden City of the Caribbean.””
She is also seeking to have the government establish a committee consisting of Members of Parliament, officials of the Georgetown City Council, the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development and the Ministry of Transport and Hydraulics to monitor the progress of the restoration of Georgetown and report to the National Assembly within four months of its establishment.
The recital to the motion noted the severe pressure that the expanded boundaries of the city have placed on its drainage. “In addition the heavy siltation of canals, the dumping of refuse and various other kinds of items which block drains, the lack of maintenance of the outfall channels have all led to poor drainage of the city,” it said.
Lawrence also argued that garbage collection and disposal have reached a critical level and that large amounts of garbage are being dumped all over the city, creating health hazards. She added that many construction sites continue to block drains and dispose of waste on city parapets, creating stagnant pools of water that encourage the breeding of mosquitoes.
She also stated that the Georgetown City Council is unable to fulfil its mandate in the cleaning up the city “due to the severe under-collection of taxes, rents and fees as well as the miserly subvention received from Central Government.”
