Frankly Speaking - Shouldn’t we grieve for Georgetown? I do
(Again, I leave Crime, Corruption, Cricket, Traffic Accidents, LGE and the Budget to others.)
Instead, the recent City Hall Inquiry, the now-usual threat by the main Garbage Collectors to withdraw and the now-evident chaotic Vendor-Invasion, all combined to prompt the following heart-felt lament.
Current indifference and insensitivity by younger citizens aside, I suspect that those thousands of Guyanese resident outside, or far away from Georgetown – N.A., Mahaica, Corriverton, Linden, Pomeroon, Rupununi, Dartmouth – would tend to care little about the State of Georgetown. But they should! Why? Because our only City, Georgetown, is Guyana’s Capital – the seat of the governmental administration of the Ministry of the Presidency, the Parliament, the central ministries of government. Georgetown is what strangers see as symbolic of the whole State – from coast to jungle. Even those who approach from our hinterland borders need the presence and functions of the Capital.
Those of us past 60, who grew up and “belong” to Georgetown know that, Frankly Speaking, the city is in a state of “disrepair”. And sadly, ironically, the City Hall headquarters and once-iconic heritage building is itself the stark symbol of a city in various stages of collapse. My silent cry emanates from one who knew a smaller, cleaner, orderly, innocent, pristine town once described as a Garden City. ***********
Neglect! Collapse! Any hope?
I guess that the current dot.com generation of Guyanese wouldn’t realise, wouldn’t care that our Capital has retrogressed badly.
Not for me to list all the numerous reasons, causes. Just a few: the fires of the early sixties, no forward-planning for the obvious expected expansion inclusive of filling up of drainage facilities but no new streets; residents’ misuse and destruction; out-of-town users’ damage/exploitation. One Mayor for years and years and yes – the sustained wanton neglect by Central Government because the capital was deemed Opposition territory as well as the fact that succeeding City municipalities were found incompetent and guilty of irregular practices.
Result? Georgetown today is characterized by chaotic disorder; only selective, exploitative City Constabulary enforcement of “standards”; flooding; no