- NEWSDAY.CO.TT - A la Une - 09/Aug 04:53

We are living in a junk yard

THE EDITOR: Have you ever gone to someone’s house and wondered how they seem so comfortable living in an environment that appears very dirty and unhealthy to you? Many times the person living in squalor is so used to the environment that they are unaware of the unhealthy nature of their surroundings. Perhaps it is time to look at our country, including our capital city with its unkept parks and dirty sidewalks and drains. The fountain in our premium park, Woodford Square, can be functional and painted with an investment of less than $20,000. The park itself can be upgraded with flowers and imported new lawn for a minimal investment. This can be a focus point on the beautification of TT. It is just opposite our Parliament building. I cannot think of any country that I have visited where the park opposite its Parliament is so unsightly. The medians along our major highways can be beautified with flowers and the dividers cleaned and painted. Long-term contracts can be given out to maintain the green patches at our roundabouts, to clean and maintain concrete rivers like the Dry River and the Diego Martin River. Our beaches must be kept clean and outfitted with adequate changing and toilet facilities and maintained by private contractors on contract. A major area crying out for attention is our rivers. Families flock to popular river spots for picnics. Most of these areas have no toilet facilities, no running water, and no changing rooms. It is unbelievable that in a modern country, years after independence and different political parties in service, simple things like proper parking, water and toilet facilities are not a priority in popular public areas. Fixing TT starts with cleaning up the country. On the side of the roadway in areas like Princes Town and Chaguanas, scrap car dealers and mechanics just dump their vehicles with impunity. Driving through our country gives one the impression that there is no national pride and no order. Squatters along the Lady Young Road are no longer building shacks; they are building huge concrete structures with driveways and gates from the roadway. While the disarray and chaos reign, while the squalor and debris engulf our communities and roads, we somehow go ahead with our lives, oblivious to the reality that we are living in a dump. One can only hope that one day we find the strength and determination to clean up our country. STEVE ALVAREZ via e-mail The post We are living in a junk yard appeared first on Trinidad and Tobago Newsday.