Stabroek Market closed for business yesterday
–  to reopen today
STABROEK Market was yesterday closed for business following the unprecedented spring tide in Guyana last Thursday and stallholders yesterday worked hard to get their businesses back on track.
Clerk of Markets, Mr. Schulder Griffith, who visited the market with Public Relations Officer at the Mayor and City Council (M&CC) of Georgetown, Mr. Royston King, emphatically declared that the spring tide will not repeat itself and that certain mischievous persons are spreading rumours about the place.
When the Guyana Chronicle visited the market yesterday, stallholders were seen working arduously on their stalls. Some constructed new concrete structures to prevent water from entering their stalls while others were observed clearing their stalls of damaged goods.
Some persons blamed the City Council and Government for what transpired while others simply accepted what happened as a natural disaster and as something that no one had control over.
For example, Mr. M. K. Rampersaud told this newspaper that he constructed his stall in such a way that whenever the tide is high, he would not have to lose significantly. Hence, he was prepared for what happened. “I don’t know why people blaming God, the Constabulary or the Government…we can’t blame anyone. It’s natural,” Rampersaud commented.
Rampersaud, who is the owner of Stalls 37 and part of 38 in Section Three, said he was grateful that the situation in Guyana is not as it is in Pakistan where lives are being lost on a daily basis and where people are suffering on a grander scale.

Another stallholder, Mr. H. Rampersaud, yesterday employed additional staff members to move the items in his stall to higher ground so that, should the market experience another tragedy, he would not suffer major losses. Rampersaud said he lost about $400,000 worth of goods.
Phulmattie Ramdass, owner of stall eight in Section Three, told the Chronicle that she lost over $1M in shoes as a result of the spring tide.
She commented that the water reached her knees last Thursday as she strove to save some of her items.
According to her, a concrete block had to be established at the entrance of her stall to prevent water from entering therein. “All we could do is stand up and watch,” she lamented.
Owner of stall nine, Mr. Boyo Persaud, yesterday opined that it is vital for stallholders to work together with the M&CC. In future, stallholders must work to see if they could prevent such losses, he said. “It’s an eye opener to all. We must be alert,” he commented.
The Clerk of Markets told this newspaper that the spring tide started about 4 pm last Thursday and that the Stabroek Market was quickly under water.
After leaving the market, many stallholders returned to look after their stalls on receiving news of the spring tide. No one, however, expected it to be this severe, he said.
Mr. King, from the M&CC, said the spring tide is seriously regretted and that there was nothing that the Council could have done to prevent the overtopping.

He said it was part of the whole phenomenon of climate change and that the report by the Markets’ Division is that stallholders lost millions of dollars in items.
What is however noteworthy, he said, is the fact that stallholders came together in a spirit of cooperation and supported each other.
King said the market was unable to be opened yesterday as the Clerk of Markets wanted the market to be in a satisfactory state before reopening today.
He also announced that the M&CC is finalizing arrangements to hold a forum on climate change with specific reference to sea rise.
This situation must be thought of, King said, since Georgetown is four feet below sea level and six when there is a high tide. In so doing, we would be able to come up with ways in dealing with situations like the present one, he said.
King said the climate change forum, to be held on November 13, will see in attendance technical and professional people.
According to him, the Guyana Fire Department helped to wash out the market while the Clerk of Markets is reviewing means of storage at the market.
Griffith rejoined that the City Constabulary Department of the M&CC gave support to the stallholders last Thursday as work went on past 9 pm. Stallholders were also allowed to enter with their vehicles, he further stated.
“This won’t happen again. There will be nothing more like this, based on our information. If it happens again, something is wrong,” Griffith stated.
Stabroek Market is expected to be in full swing today.