Illegal vending near Charity Market sluice affecting community drainage – Regional Chairman
By Rajendra Prabhulall, Tuesday, 3 December 2013, Source
SEVERAL vendors who have set up stalls without the permission of the Charity-Urasara Neighbourhood Democratic Council just in front of the Charity market sluice at the end of the roadway, are causing serious problems in terms of drainage for the Charity community.
The illegal vending is also obstructing the regional administration from desilting the sluice channel which is blocked with tons of garbage, including hundreds of soft drink bottles and plastic bags.
Regional Chairman, Mr. Parmanand Persaud who visited Charity on Wednesday, inspected the silted- up sluice channel. He said excavators will be sent to the site to clear the channel so residents can get relief in terms of drainage from the excess rainwater.
The Regional Chairman said the sluice is very important to drain the market, business places and residential areas at Charity.
Mr. Persaud said the rainy season has just started and already residents of the Charity Housing Scheme are complaining about a high build-up of rainwater in drains which is overflowing into their yards.
The Chairman who inspected another sluice at the end of the Charity River defence dam said he saw another pile of garbage, including hundreds of plastic bottles and floating grass blocking the channel which stopped the flow of water into the Pomeroon River.
According to the him, the canal that links to the sluice is connected to drains in the Charity Housing Scheme. He said the careless dumping of garbage by business owners and residents has led to the blocked sluice channel and accumulation of water in the housing scheme.
He said some residents of the housing area have filled their yards with earth during the dry season and have also caused drains to be blocked, while others have placed narrow pipes and wooden kokers into drains, adding to the drainage problems.
Meanwhile, the Regional Chairman is urging residents and the business community at Charity to desist from dumping garbage into waterways. He also assured that should the rains continue, a mobile pump will be sent to Charity to help drain excess rainwater into the Pomeroon River.
