“Bourda Market stinks”; Vendors, Council workers decry flood situation

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Garbage pile up at the Bourda Market. [iNews' Photo]

By Jomo Paul

The current state of the Bourda Market, Georgetown, [iNews' Photo]
The current state of the Bourda Market, Georgetown, [iNews’ Photo]
[www.inewsguyana.com] – Some communities in and around the capital city of Georgetown and along the coast are breathing a sigh of relief as flood waters that accumulated at the weekend begin to recede, but for the vendors that ply a daily trade in Bourda Market, Lacytown, it is not the same.

Bourda market has been closed since Sunday, May 31 when the torrential downpour flooded several parts of the city and the coast. While some of these areas have had some amount of normalcy restored allowing them to go about their business, the Market is still reeking and flooded.

The current state of the Bourda Market, Georgetown, [iNews' Photo]
The current state of the Bourda Market, Georgetown, [iNews’ Photo]
When iNews visited the Market on Tuesday June 02, it was practically bare, with the exception of a few vendors who were daring enough to brace the stench either to conduct business or try to save some of the goods stored in their respective stalls.

One vendor told iNews that she lost millions and the three persons that she employs have not been able to work since Monday, explaining that the entire situation has landed her in dire financial straits.

Garbage pile up at the Bourda Market. [iNews' Photo]
Garbage pile up at the Bourda Market. [iNews’ Photo]
Declining to give her name, the woman explained that she sells groceries and most, if not all, of the goods that were on the floor of the stall have been damaged.

Employees of a popular stall in the market declined to venture into the water and opted to return home despite their employer having summoned them to work.

Added to the flooded market and the stench, vendors also have to tolerate a garbage situation that has grown out of control. One of the entrances to the Municipal Market has been reduced to nothing more than a dumpsite as vendors explained that vagrants and others dump garbage at the spot while some rummage through it looking for whatever food they can find.

The current state of the Bourda Market, Georgetown, [iNews' Photo]
The current state of the Bourda Market, Georgetown, [iNews’ Photo]
“Who ain’t dumping digging out for food to eat…this thing could have never reached this stage…Bourda Market stinks,” a cobbler explained.

“The workers come to work and they are not working…these sanitation workers come to work and they say they are not working…this is the best time for them to take of all these stuff off this water, they are supposed to take it off now,” said one man referring to a large pile of Styrofoam that had accumulated on top of the water.

Some vendors braved the stench and flood waters. [iNews' Photo]
Some vendors braved the stench and flood waters. [iNews’ Photo]
Another vendor adjacent to the one of the entrances said: “You see what I gotta put here suh? This is not only now story I can’t take this thing anymore. I can’t take it. I getting a lot of smell…customers ain’t buying. I would like for the bin to move from here…no rubbish must dump here remember this is an entrance to go into this market.”

Meanwhile, one council worker who was present did not take lightly to the criticisms of his work and said that it was unhygienic for him to venture into the water knowing the dangers.

“You feel we could work under this condition? We ain’t even got a proper long boots on we foot…we can’t feel to work under this condition. They gotta bring long boots and thing so that we could get to work with,” said the worker.

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9 COMMENTS

  1. Hammy should have been the first one in the water with his broom, after all he did receive a medal for his hard work and sacrifice, or was it for wasting million of tax payers dollars, reducing the city to the garbage city and neglecting the city pumps? Were the new government engaged in the cleaning up of our city or mining for gold?

  2. It’s those same stinking Vendors that are complaining causes those garbage to be there in the for place . Put a fine on them . Guyanese need to stop their stinking dirty ways .

  3. Come together people and clean everyone else is doing it it’s your lively hood at stake here complaining ain’t gonna get nobody anywhere even in the country areas they are coming together and cleaning c’mon now

  4. Come on Green you don’t want to spoil your chances of getting another award do you? I guess you already know it doesn’t matter what you do the awards will keep rolling in.

  7. It’s time to get our minds as Guyanese wrapped around how awfully dirty we are and we have been contributing the untidy state of our country. Now that is has backed up on us we turn to the blame game. A total attitude change in the guyanese populate is needed and the By-Laws enforced without favour on those who litter and contribute the untidy state of the country.

    It’s time to clean up some of the human resources at City Hall who seem afraid to enforce the By-Laws on littering etc.

  9. I think all of the markets need major over hauling, they have been neglected over the years, my the new administration have their work cut out; citizens need to give them a chance and time, things won’t happen overnight.

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