This week we asked vendors at the Bourda Market what they thought could be done to address the continual flooding of the market.
Nigel George – `I think the flooding of the market has nothing to do with the government, it has to do with God, because the government can’t stop the rain from falling. Is God command rain to fall in the Bible.
But the government needs to improve on the payment for the people who working to clean the market.’
Forbes Howes – `The drainage is the problem and the government needs to ensure that the drains in the market are cleaned so that the water could drain off.’
Ravi Chandranauth – `They need to recap the road and the market and make it higher, because the area is very low and the place floods easily.’
Kamal Ramcharran – `The market is in a very, very bad situation and you can’t fault the government, is the rain. Every time the rain fall the place
will flood, the government is not responsible for that and they can’t do anything about it.’
Marcia Belle – `I think they should really do something about the situation because when it rains it really affecting business. Is since last week Wednesday to Friday the rain was falling and even today the outside of the market is still under water. It is really disgusting because is many years this flood happening and somebody need to come and visit the market to see what is really going on. We still have to pay for the goods we buy and pay rent and nobody coming to buy. I think they need to clean and sanitize the area also because since the flood we ain’t see nobody and all they tell us is that if we ain’t clean in front of our stall we can’t sell and the place is not hygienic because it had dead animals in the market that vendors had to remove, after they came back to vend.’
John Morgan -`The drains around the market and along the road need cleaning, and the trenches needs dredging, because two thirds of the drains filled with mud. If we get rain for one hour, the entire market flood and the present government are in power and they are responsible for the situation.’
Pooran Singh – They need to clean the drains and operate the sluices, because many times during the day when the tide is high the sluice would close, and in the nights when the door supposed to open the attendant to open the door is asleep and the water can’t drain off.’
Ramnarine Versammy Verian – `As soon as the rain fall the place like this and the market needs to recap and level off the market and road needs to raise higher. Vendors getting a lot of problems and the government need to look into the situation. We still have to pay rent and we ain’t getting no sales, because the place is still flood and people don’t want come through the water to shop. Is every time we getting losses and we talking and nothing happening. Is a lot of wrongdoing going on.’
Steve – `The government is not responsible for the flooding, this place used to flood under all the previous government, but what they need to do is to check back the records in
the 70s and the 80s and look at President Burnham days. Drainage and irrigation was his priority and that is what the government need to put as their priority. Many times they throw the blame on the city council but is the government the people will blame nevertheless. If the drains were up to standard, the water problem will solve fast.
When they clean the canals at Avenue of the Republic and the other big canals, we see that the water run off fast. The drains in the market are not maintained neither, I can’t remember the last time I come and see somebody lifting the boards and
cleaning the drains. The drains used to clean every three months but I can’t remember the last time I see them come clean the drains.’
Learia Primo – `The issue of flooding at the market is undoubtedly one that requires a dire intervention. It started some years ago and has gotten worse overtime during the rainy season. Sales have dropped significantly, and damage to goods, resulting in severe losses, while vendors are still required to pay rent. In order to avoid further loss, many are forced to stand in the dirty water to ply their trade and
customers often refrain from entering the market. This is a ridiculously poor standard. While the surface area is often cleaned, many drains are left clogged. I suggest that they raise sections of the market to maintain business, which will mean spending taxpayers’ money while maintenance of the drains would have reduced that cost. What the Ministry of Public Infrastructure should ensure is that proper supervision is given during the execution of their job. This marketplace is where Guyanese do business along with visitors from the region and around the world. Along with vendors, all those persons along with students and it reflects badly on the government.’
