…as facility continues to sink
The regional administration of Region Two (Pomeroon-Supenaam) is battling against time to find a suitable relocation spot for vendors as the Charity Market Centre Wharf continues to rapidly deteriorate, posing danger to life and limb.
When contacted, Regional Executive Officer (REO) Rupert Hopkinson related that they were still in consultation with the vendors to decide on a suitable relocation spot. Additionally, he explained that an engineer has been contracted to assess what needed to be done and how fast they should act.
“We have someone we are working with and all I can say is that nothing has changed. We are still looking for a spot for the vendors and working with them so that we come to an agreeable conclusion,” Hopkinson told Guyana Times.
Regional Councillors at the last RDC meeting discussing the condition of the Wharf among other business
Meanwhile, Regional Chairman Devanand Ramdatt related that the Regional Democratic Council has instructed the REO to ensure that a solution is arrived at to prevent possible injuries.
Reports are that the Wharf continues to sink and the cracks are getting bigger.
The Charity Market Wharf, according to engineers, has sunk more than six inches and poses a serious risk to life and limb, but the vendors utilising the area are refusing to relocate until the Public Infrastructure Ministry mobilises a team to execute urgent repairs.
In an earlier interview, Regional Vice Chairman Nandranie Coonjah said that the Market Centre Wharf at Charity has been engaging the attention of the Region’s Works Committee since August of 2017 and that was the reason for the initial study on the Wharf. She explained that they engaged the regional engineer who ventured below the Wharf and discovered the rapid deterioration.
The engineer observed large cracks in the floor with several rotting boards. Further, most of the piles beneath the Wharf were determined to be no longer able to support the structure. The solid concrete wharf is thus sitting precariously on a few remaining piles, and the prognosis is that it is likely collapse.
The vendors reported that they were aware of the danger posed by the sinking Wharf, but they needed a solid plan before they could relocate their businesses. They are also waiting on the Ministry to officially commence work and remove them.
The structure is 32 years old, and requires urgent attention since over 30 persons utilise it for vending and countless others for other purposes. It is also a parking area for many persons using their boats to traverse the Pomeroon River. (Lakhram Bhagirat)
