Dear Editor,
Thanks to social media I was able to view the uncomfortable scenes of destruction of the iconic Parika market. While I was watching videos of thick black smoke in the air, my primary concern was what caused the fire. I later learnt through news articles that the fire was allegedly caused by welding being done inside of the market.
It is unfortunate that the entire market was gutted. Vendors depended on it for their daily survival; the NDC also depended on it for the revenues from vendors to function effectively. Editor, it is a complex situation but I hope vendors would be fairly compensated for them to start over. The idea of a new market to facilitate Parika vendors is an encouraging one. I hope when the new facility is constructed, care and caution would be the key words.
The Parika market was a convenient facility, especially for commuters traveling to and from the Essequibo Coast. Every time I travelled to the City, I had to get the Parika bananas. Editor, that’s the only bananas I purchase.
Sincerely,
Yannason Duncan
