There should   really be no need for one to highlight again the horrendous state of what was formerly described as the Garden City. But continuing to do so is inescapable, since the reasons  immediately meet the eye and the nostrils, as one comes out into the streets – overflowing garbage dumps where these have been provided; human faeces on some of  the pedestrian walkways; and worse, the numerous man-made  sites  throughout the City and its environs that are depots  for indiscriminate dumping. The latter multiplies almost daily!

The above, a recipe for instant health disasters of so many kinds, are further compounded by drains, ditches, and canals  that are choked with silt, and compounded by the disgusting sight of plastic bottles and styrofoam, the presence of which is an indictment to the gross disregard displayed by citizens for their city.
All this inevitably will  more than adequately exacerbate any heavy rainfall, to ‘flood ready’ proportions.
Of course, there is no doubt that more volumes of the heavenly drench have been contributing to floods. It is a worldwide weather phenomenon, Guyana inclusive. A few days ago, there was yet another example of this now customary result, from what can be described as a not too heavy bout of rain – most parts of the City were flooded, even the Bourda market, where  the stallholders, apart from suffering loss from damage to goods, also bear zero income returns as a result of a temporary halt to commercial activities. This situation must lead us into the southern city wards, the real focus of this editorial piece.
For years there have been complaints by residents in this heavily populated part of the City, that their communities are not serviced regularly by the Mayor & City Council (M&CC). Such a complaint is not without merit as there are numerous drainage areas, that have not seen a sanitation spade for at least a decade. The Werk-en-Rust and Wortmanville areas are clear examples of this serious civic dereliction. The drain that parallels the southern section of the busy D’ Urban Street motorway  has been silted for decades up, and as a result filled with water that has become stagnant because of their being no cleared outlet. In fact, this lengthy stream changes its colour ever so often.
Those drains that run alongside the many access streets are no different, filled with silt especially, and not being cleared. The southern half of Chapel Street Lodge reveals the unhealthy state of the eastern drainage conduit, overflowing into adjoining yards, because of some amount of rainfall. But the truth is – these are of the earthen type, and should be cleared often so as to avoid silt build-up.
The issue of major concern is one of an ever present health threat, particularly to the hundreds of children that reside in this area. This same abysmal state of affairs is applicable to other areas in the wider reaches of the southern wards, where flooding occurs, aggravated by choked drains and waterways.
It is only fair to demand of the City Council as to the reason(s) for this seemingly discriminatory state of affairs, as is claimed by residents in these areas. And in voicing this allegation, they point to the constant efforts carried out in the northern half of the city. Even the grass reserves within the wards of South Georgetown are neglected, as illustrated by the many examples that are plain for all to see. In comparison, those in the Northern half are tended by the M&CC, as  often as necessary.
Because of the status quo outlined above, Southern Georgetown, apart from its share of the garbage culture has the additional health risk of overflowing drains. This only adds to an already incendiary health risk.
It is unfair to treat communities in an area traditionally seen as inner city type,  in this manner, especially when the opposite occurs elsewhere. One will agree that generally,  city cleansing does not occur as often as should be, and this is reflected throughout the general city plateau, by garbage piles, choked waterways, and overgrown vegetation on  reserves. But if cleansing  is  done in certain areas, why not in the others?
All communities and their citizens that are domiciled within the jurisdiction of the city are entitled to their fair share of municipal services offered by the Mayor&City Council.