Govt bans use of chemicals to clear drainage system

Last Updated on Wednesday, 19 April 2023, 15:53 by Denis Chabrol

The Guyana government has banned the use of chemicals to clean drainage calls across the country, after concerns were raised by residents of Ann’s Grove, East Coast Demerara.

After the concern was raised raised by a resident during a ministerial outreach led by Prime Minister Mark Phillips, the Agriculture Minister Zulfikar Mustapha made government’s position clear that no chemicals must be used anywhere in Guyana to kill vegetation in the drainage system.

“In the contract, the use of chemical is prohibited so we have to look at that. If they are spraying it, it’s wrong. They can’t spray the canals and we’ll be taking steps to deal with those issues,” he said.

A Guyanese woman, who lived on a farm in Maryland, United States, complained at the meeting that the spray is causing environmental problems to her and other residents of Ann’s Grove. “Every time I got to water my vegetables that I am planting there, I can get the odour from whatever is being sprayed,” she said.

Government promised to address a number of issues concerning the acquisition of land for housing, partly due to issues related to a cooperative society; unstable electricity, and the not-working online learning system of the Cyril Potter College of Education, small-business support and transportation for school children.