Enough is enough! After six years of passive outcry, concerned citizens of the community of Melanie Damishana on the East Coast of Demerara recently took to social media to vent their frustration.
The environs of the former cinema on Cinema Road have become a dumpsite for scrap metal and other hazardous materials which continue to accumulate over time, making the roadway unsafe to traverse.
Based on reports reaching this publication, the problem started with the establishment of a scrap metal shop some six years ago and the manager seemingly oblivious to the plight of the citizens. One resident who wished to remain anonymous revealed that the site creates an ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes and several rodent species.
Moreover, the constant burning of metal at this site disrupts the peace and comfort of persons in the residential area, making the polluted air hazardous for consumption.
Cinema Road is precarious for the average person, more specifically females, to traverse during the evening or night. Destitute persons and vagrants find their haven there as the sun goes down and persons heading home from work at those hours are constantly looking over their shoulders, as the ever-present possibility of being robbed or raped, lurk at the back of their minds.
According to sources, the operator of the scrap metal business blatantly has no regard for the personal safety of citizens, casting a deaf ear to the cries of the residents over time.
“Myself, along with other villagers, spoke to him and all he did was curse us and told us to go and make a report…,” one resident stated.
The businessman reportedly dumps his property alongside the road and even digs up the premises of frustrated neighbours in the execution of his operations.
Despite numerous reports made by citizens over the years (the most recent being just a week ago) for the intervention of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council (NDC) of Buxton/Foulis, these attempts have proved futile.
The residents of Cinema Road are at their wits’ end and are pleading with the relevant authorities to investigate and rectify the problem, primarily for the sake of the young and the elderly.
