Floods… and renewal

While Pressie announced only in September that he was gonna lead a Herculean effort to rehabilitate – that is, literally, to make it “habitable”!! – we gotta give kudos to his better half!! Didn’t the First Lady launch all those initiatives to return some dignity to our capital city’s appearance since 2021?? As best as your Eyewitness can remember, first there was the complete makeover of the sea wall from the bandstand to the Pegasus!! It just took his breath away! It’s been drawing both tourists and locals – and lovers, illicit and otherwise!! – to return to one of our most noted landmarks – the bandstand. It had unfortunately become a haven for vagrants.
Then there was the ongoing development of the railway embankment from the old terminal to Camp Street into a mixed-commercial and family recreational hub by the Central Government led Pressie and his indefatigable Minister of Public Works, Edgehill. The embankment – stretching all the way to Vlissingen and further to Sherriff St has seen various desultory attempts to put it to practical use. But it was too haphazarded and certainly looked it! With the launch of the Railway Courtyard last week, there’s talk of extending the initial initiative to the full length of the embankment. The Vlissingen median to the sea wall has already been paved into a walkway!
And Central Government’s taking the bull by the horns to de-gut City Hall and rebuild it to its old Gothic splendour has become reality. Keats said, “A thing of beauty is a joy forever” – but only if it is maintained, no?? How many times hadn’t we thrown money down that black hole – including the private sector and foreign donors? But then nothing leaves a black hole, can it? Save in the pockets of the occupants!!
But let’s face the truth, shall we? No matter what the Central Government does, the responsibility for MAINTAINING AND EXTENDING what can only be a demonstration of POSSIBILITIES lies with City Hall!! And from the Mayor’s reaction to the rehab efforts we know than once again, this effort ain’t gonna lead to the makeover being maintained. And look at all the criticisms being levelled by the Opposition who dominate the M&CC at the Central Government for the latest Georgetown floods after that heavy downpour!! As the old people would say while shaking their head sadly, “Good na deh heah.”
Your Eyewitness recommends that the government doesn’t continue on this Sisyphean hill – here the rock won’t just roll down through gravity but will be kicked down by the perennial PNC mayoralty. The President has already floated the idea of Silica City in our interior. Make it the Administrative Capital and leave Georgetown to its chosen fate.
Who na hear mus’ feel.

…and sugar
We’d been told back last month that the projection for sugar production was once again revised downward. And with the December rains arriving in style to ensure dew wont fill what rain couldn’t (pun intended!!) looks like Pressie’s keeping his world that there’s gonna be a shakeup of those who’ve been responsible for the industry!! Your Eyewitness notes that Pressie just held discussion with some investors and sugar experts from India – and he hopes that some kinda deal goes through.
But back to the production travails. Climate change has precipitated heavier rainfall patterns. Even if we don’t have annual floods, we gotta expect increased waterlogged soils and lower yields. Your Eyewitness remembers several Guysuco estates used to produce plantation white sugar for local consumption – including Albion and Uitvlugt. The technology ain’t new!! Shouldn’t we ask these new players to integrate this in their plans to raise value? We just can’t keep packaging our sugar into packets and call it “diversification”!!
Let’s put on our thinking caps while moving ahead.

…and Christmas prep
NEVER let it be said your Eyewitness ain’t Guyanese to the bone. So this Sunday he started sampling the ginger beer – and his missus’ famous Black Cake as “quality control”!!
It’s a tough job, but…!!