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Last Updated on Sunday, 2 December 2018, 15:01 by Denis Chabrol
Marriott beach front, Kingston Foreshore, Georgetown
The Ministry of Public Infrastructure has banned beach parties and other activities involving loud music on the Kingston Foreshore which stretches from aback Marriott Hotel to Police CID headquarters.
“Approvals will not be granted for the use of the Kingston Foreshore between Fort Groyne and Camp Street as a venue for entertainment, social and other events which are likely to generate noise above the permissible levels specified in guidelines for noise emission into the environment,” the ministry said in a notice published in Sunday’s newspapers. The notice states that the ban is on all events involving “loud” audio and video systems including those installed in motor vehicles and events characterised by crowd-generated noise.
The ministry also said that all permissions already granted have been revoked. “All approvals granted by the ministry for such events have been annulled,” the Public Infrastructure Ministry added. The government entity said all organisers have been notified that their approvals have been scrapped and they have been advised to use other venues and abide by regulations governing open spaces.
The public was reminded that the sea and river defence reserve could not be used without authorisation from the Sea and River Defence Board or legal action would be taken. “Failure to comply with this requirement will result in legal action against the violators involved,” the government said.
Loud music played at beach parties aback Marriott Hotel could be heard a far as Lamaha and Carmichael and Lamaha and Main Streets.
The Kingston foreshore, Georgetown
The government’s decision to ban loud music on the Kingston Foreshore is part of an overall crackdown in noise pollution by bars, restaurants, music carts and other equipment that was announced last month by Public Security Minister, Khemraj Ramjattan. “I would like to see where we want to take the profit out of this illegal activity and that means we must start, after going through the procedures, ensuring that we can revoke some of these bars that play loud music or the hucksters walking down the street selling their video and their tape-recordings and whatever making noise or the cars of people. And probably, it might be better to enforce the law by taking away their equipment,” Ramjattan has said. Last month, a batch of members of the Guyana Police Force was trained by the Environmental Protection Agency to measure noise levels as part of efforts to equip them to turn down the volume or switch off sources of noise pollution.
Meanwhile, the Public Infrastructure Ministry restated that all individuals and private entities must first pay before they could publish advertisements on the concrete seawalls between Georgetown and Ogle. “The application should provide sufficient information on the reasons for publishing the notice and include a description of the content (pictorial or text) of the notice and an indication of the desired period for which the notice will be displayed on the seawall,” the government ministry said.