…stench from broken ones posing health risks to nearby residents

THE deplorable state of tombs within Le Repentir cemetery poses a grave public health issue for residents living in communities nearby.

Town Clerk Royston King is calling on persons whose relatives have been buried at the location to visit City Hall to discuss the way forward in terms of rehabilitating broken tombs. King said in some cases, bones of the dead are visible and noted too that sections of the cemetery are water-logged.

“We need to pay more attention to our cemeteries, particularly Le Repentir Cemetery. I am very worried about what is happening at that cemetery at this particular point in time…if you go now, you will see where we have already cleared…all the tombs are broken. This has huge potential for serious public health consequences,” King told reporters this week.
He said too that at certain parts of the cemetery, a strong stench emanates and this he said poses serious threats to the health of those who live and traverse the area.

Currently, City Hall is working on a programme whereby relatives of those who are buried at the cemetery, are being invited to talk with officials about the repair of their relatives’ tombs.

“We are really in a bad shape,” declared King, who said that as part of the programme, City Hall intends to donate materials to help relatives fix the tombs of their loved ones.
“It won’t cost them anything other than coming on board with us, accepting the donations and fixing the tombs of their loved ones,” King said.

Though City Hall has not budgeted for the programme, the town clerk said, Council is seeking donations from civil society and the business community to forge ahead with the programme.

“It is a really serious thing when you look at the condition of the cemetery. As town clerk, I am bothered and I think we need to do something about it,” he stated.
King said all spots are identifiable and noted that if relatives do not come forward to assist in the repairs of their loved ones’ tombs, then City Hall will be forced to take up that responsibility.

“On our own we would have to do the tombs…they can be identified, because we have cleared that area. If the relatives do not come forward, we would have to take the responsibility to repair those tombs.”

The town clerk explained that relatives are supposed to maintain the tombs of their loved ones, but in most cases, this does not happen.

“They should, but they don’t…that is why we have to put a new arrangement in place to secure the integrity of these tombs. We have broken tombs and in some cases you are seeing bones,” he said, noting that Le Repentir is in a state of emergency.

“…No responsible council could sit idly by and allow a cemetery to continue to exist like that in almost the middle of the city…this is the capital! I am appealing and calling on relatives…to come forward and talk with us, so we can get ahead with repairing those tombs and painting them…so as to secure the integrity of the cemetery.”

Like King, residents of North-East La Penitence, Princes Street and along Cemetery Road are also concerned about the state of the cemetery. Requesting anonymity, residents told the Guyana Chronicle that the situation is worsening.

“Is like nobody ain’t care…I ain’t know is who responsible, but people just bury their families and don’t turn back. Look the other day I sitting on my step and heard one of them lil boys say look bones in the tomb…this should never happen,” said a resident of Princes Street.

Another resident told the Guyana Chronicle that she has young children who have been ill frequently over the past few months. She attributes their ailment to the “dirty environment” at the cemetery.

“I don’t know why City Hall can’t do something about this. This place stink…first we had to deal with the garbage site and now is the broken tombs and stench coming from them. Every two morning my children sick…it is frustrating. I need them to do something; this is not healthy,” the frustrated woman told the Guyana Chronicle.

Another resident of Cemetery Road said while he cannot see broken tombs from where he lives, he gets a strong stench frequently which he believes comes from the cemetery.
“This never used to happen…but as of late, it really stinks and when it is breezy, Lord help us,” the man said as he called on the relevant authorities to remedy the situation.
“It is unsafe for us and our children,” he added.

Meanwhile, under the Municipal and District Council Act 28:01, the council has the responsibility for establishing, maintaining and controlling burial grounds and crematoriums. In addition, the Office of the Sexton has burial registers which contain the names of persons buried, the dates of burials, and the locations of the places of burial within the cemetery. Burial registers often serve as an important resource for genealogy.

Le Repentir Cemetery was first established in March, 1861. Subsequently, a road was constructed through the cemetery to link La Penitence with Lodge, Wortmanville and Werk-en-Rust.

The first person interred at Le Repentir Cemetery was Antonio Gonzales, 45, on March 15, 1861. He was from Madeira.