The National Park in Thomas Lands, Georgetown, is set to benefit from a number of initiatives aimed at enhancing its facilities so that visitors engaging in recreational pursuits could do so in relative safety.
A Ministry of the Presidency release on Monday stated that these initiatives are being undertaken by the Department of the Environment, through the Protected Areas Commission (PAC) in collaboration with the National Parks Commis-sion (NPC). These two organisations have been working together since the end of 2012 to upgrade the facilities at the National Park under the Three Parks Initiative. The Park is which heavily utilised by Georgetown residents has benefitted from many improvements and will continue to do so as more resources become available.It is unclear what prompted the release about the improvements as several of these had been reported before. Last week, the management of the National Park was criticised in a letter to this newspaper.
As part of the upgrades, the Commission has started construction of the extension to the Head Office in the National Park to accommodate the growing number of staff and a large Board/Training Room. Advertisers and other stakeholders who are responsible for advertisements, buildings and facilities in the Park have been engaged to encourage them to enhance their respective structures. Stakeholders who have sponsored walking trails and other infrastructure are also being re-engaged. The construction of two stands are also earmarked for this year.
Lighting
Lights have been installed to facilitate the use of the inner circuit beyond daylight hours. The lights were upgraded in 2017 and 2019 under a project managed by the Guyana Energy Agency with funding from the British High Commission and the Canadian Fund for Local Initiatives. \
Rehabilitation
A revetment has been installed along the Park’s main canal, which had eroded significantly over the years, resulting in a loss of land area and flooding. The Park’s walkways have also been raised and sections paved to ensure an even path and to reduce the risk of injury to pedestrians, walkers and joggers.
The athletics field has also been raised by three to four feet in some areas, and the field is rolled frequently to ensure that it is always ready for use.
A new koker, designed to look as close as possible to the original structure, has been installed. The sluice is used in tandem with a large tractor-operated pump to remove most of the water from the Park, even when the wider drainage network is flooded, to reduce the impact of flooding.
The primary canals bordering the boundary of the National Park have been desilted.
The main access bridge at the north-western end of the National Park was repaired at the beginning of the year and the staff and public washrooms rehabilitated.
Safety and security
The PAC has restructured its security department and has been working on various upgrades to ensure that there is basic compliance with the rules and policies governing use of the Park. These upgrades were first implemented in 2017.
In 2018, the Commission hired a Security Manager and a Deputy Security Manager, who have both been undergoing continuous training to ensure optimum security. Security personnel have also been issued with handheld radios and a bicycle patrol system has been implemented along with other measures: such as the installation of additional security cameras – which provides off-site monitoring; enforcing rules, which prohibits persons from storing their personal property on the premise; removal of personal property left in the Security Office and other parts of the premises.
Some posts such as the Eastern Car Park are patrol posts where the guards are expected to be on the move to overlook parked vehicles.
In addition, as part of the Park’s safety precautions, traffic is usually channelled away from walkers/joggers and other pedestrians to reduce risk of injury.
Car park
At the eastern side of the Park, a lighted, 60-vehicle paved parking lot has been constructed to a height above 2005 flood levels, to provide a secure, all-weather parking option for visitors. The lot includes a ramp for wheelchair access and persons with disabilities.
As with the Carifesta Avenue parking lot, vehicles are charged a nominal fee for parking from 3:00 pm every day, except on those days when the Park is reserved by both private and public agencies for other events.
As the facility generates revenue, it is expected to cover some of its maintenance costs in the long term.
The PAC was created under the Protected Areas Act 201, and oversees the management, maintenance, promotion and expansion of the National Protected Areas System. The PAC has been working with the National Parks Commission since the end of 2012 to enhance the facilities there, which are heavily utilised by Georgetown residents. Through the Three Parks Initiative, the Commission has also focussed on enhancing the facilities and services provided by the three main urban parks in Georgetown, the release added.
