All communities must be clean, safe & free from noise nuisance – Pres Ali

President Dr Irfaan Ali has committed to ensuring that all communities across the country are clean, safe, and comfortable places to live, free from noise nuisance and other forms of pollution.
He made the commitment last week as he unveiled his Government’s five-year social and economic development plan, noting, however, that individual responsibility is important to achieving these goals.
“Important to the future is building sustainable communities; communities that can withstand changing weather patterns, communities that are clean. In the next five years, we will continue to build the infrastructure for sustainable communities that are safe and clean, where the streets are well lit, where drains are not clogged or polluted and where noise nuisances are no more,” the Guyanese leader assured.
He also spoke about the Government’s beautification plan, assuring that all communities will benefit.
“We’re taking deliberate steps toward the beautification of our environment, deliberate steps in creating safe family environments, deliberate steps in creating and improving recreational facilities, deliberate steps in enhancing community life and, importantly, we’re taking deliberate steps in building out the drainage plan for every single region,” the President said.
Already, the Government has conducted consultations with citizens on the Georgetown Drainage Improvement Project, which seeks to enhance the city’s flood resilience through the expansion and modernisation of its aged drainage infrastructure.
President Ali said this initiative will be replicated countrywide. In fact, he said officials have a detailed map of all drainage facilities, including existing pump stations and locations for the establishment of new ones.
He assured that throughout the years, Government initiatives will continue to support waste management programmes, provide resources for national and community clean-up drives and encourage environmentally friendly practices. However, he stressed that lasting change depends on the participation of every citizen.
“We must cherish and care for the very environment that sustains us. The beauty and cleanliness of our surroundings are reflections of our civic pride and personal values. Reducing littering, maintaining pristine public spaces and preserving the natural landscapes of our towns, villages and city are responsibilities that fall to each of us,” President Ali expressed.
Meanwhile, Vice President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo had already revealed that the Government will be putting systems in place to relocate commercial activities from residential communities in an effort to improve the comfort of citizens.
He had explained that the Government is considering developing small parks in the back lands of villages where these small business owners, such as welders and small farmers, can operate without impacting the tranquillity of the neighbourhood.
Government officials have also continuously spoken about their plans to install more streetlights across the country, convert all drains to concrete infrastructure, and improve waste management systems in communities by improving the functioning of municipalities and Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs).
Back in April, the VP had announced an increase in the annual subventions to NDCs from $5 million to $30 million, and from $18 million to $50 million for municipalities across the country.
Recently, Jagdeo hinted that these sums could go up even further come next year.

Penalties
Persons found guilty of creating noise nuisance can face hefty fines ranging from $300,000 to $750,000, along with possible arrest and seizure of equipment.
According to the Guyana National Bureau of Standards (GNBS), acceptable sound levels in residential areas are 75 decibels during the day and 60 decibels at night.
Head of Investigation and Enforcement at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Surujpaul Singh had said in October that activities exceeding these levels – such as music from bars, workshops, or social events – may attract penalties, but stressed that formal complaints made through Police Stations or EPA channels are essential for swift enforcement. While no prosecutions have occurred this year, the EPA is pursuing arrangements to allow Police to directly charge offenders, promoting voluntary compliance through soundproofing measures, and warning that monitoring will be intensified during the Christmas season.