Town Clerk Royston King and a team of officials of the Georgetown Municipality are currently conducting what he considers to be a “major operation” to remove four large swimming pools lodged on the city’s parapets along Sheriff Street, Section ‘K’ Campbellville area.

King told Guyana Chronicle that the placing of the pools by a businessman not only presents a bad picture of the city but is illegal and is a haven for the breeding of mosquitoes.

“It is also very dangerous the way it is stored, in the event a vehicle has to maneuver where is the space? It is in front of other people’s property, it is an act of selfishness; it has to stop.”

The Town Clerk said efforts have been made repeatedly by the City Council to speak with the businessman but all proved futile.

“We spoke to a woman on three occasions on the phone, we have asked her to remove them because the neighbours are complaining. I am here today because I am going to cut it up, cut up these things; I am waiting on the power saw to come. I have had it with these kinds of people,” a frustrated King declared.

Notices were served to the businessman, who operates from his home but no effort has been made to remove the swimming pools.

“They have shown no care, no respect, not only for the City but for their own neighbours. This has been like this now for over three to four weeks. We have been talking, trying to reach them. When we spoke to them initially, there was only one braced up there now they’ve brought three more…this is a clear sign of disrespect and disregard for the law.”

The Town Clerk believes that people feel they could get away with illegal activities because the City Council is now well equipped.

“Where we don’t have the equipment, we will cut these things up, and move them in manageable sizes. We can’t continue like this!”

Asked if cutting the pools is the best alternative, King said, “We are trying to reach them nobody is coming out to us, this has been the pattern for the last four times we have visited this place. This has been the pattern, the engineer was here and he spoke to a woman on the phone and she said she has no other place to store it…that is not our concern…these pavements are collectively owned by all of the citizens of Georgetown, we must have respect for the city.”

King maintains that such activities cannot occur in other cities of the world. “It is unacceptable!”