Dirty Castries

COULD a letter to the Minister of Tourism from a disappointed visitor to the island become the catalyst that will bring about change in the environmental condition of the city of Castries?

Will eyes be opened to the reality at long last? Will those agencies and people who have been given the responsibility of ensuring the cleanliness and orderliness of the capital, finally begin to earn their keep?

As much as we want to congratulate the Minister of Tourism for speaking out forcefully against our deteriorating capital this week, we cannot lose sight of the fact that it appears that it took the comments of a visitor to make him sit up and take note.

We say so because the environmental state of Castries has been a matter of public concern and condemnation for a number of years. The city’s main champions in that regard have been the often-maligned media—both print and electronic. In fact, we know of at least three newspaper journalists on this and other newspapers who have campaigned ceaselessly for something to be done about Castries, with articles and editorials, all to no avail.

In the end it appears to have taken a visitor to come here and tell us that our capital was run down, with rats running all over the place and that our pavements and walkways were atrocious.

We who live here know as well that this is only the tip of the iceberg, that drains in the city where tourists travel on foot reek of all kinds of unhealthy odours; that gutters are clogged with plastics: bags, glasses, plates etc. dumped into them by everyone: wayside vendors, children, adults, commuters, minibus operators etc. We experience first hand the loud stench of urine and the sewer system the presence of stray animals etc. etc. Indeed, we who live here know that most parts of our once beautiful city, simply stinks.

Yet, this is our capital, the point where in the tourist season, hundreds of visitors land every day and leave their ships to see the sites and experience the little country that produced two Nobel Laureates because we claim to be heavily into tourism, which has now become the main contributor to our livelihood.

But Castries is not hard only on tourists, it is equally hard on its own citizens. It is still possible to drive your vehicle through the streets of this capital with blaring music and not be challenged by an officer of the law. Not even churches are spared this menace on Sunday mornings. In fact, it is now standard fare for anyone wishing to entertain a community to simply set up giant speakers by the roadside and blast away.

Castries has become dysfunctional, lawless and a municipal and national disgrace. It is city that has been overtaken by gangs and crime and all kinds of vices, like alcohol consumption that is attracting young men and women and even school-goers. Public drinking has become the latest spectacle with sessions taking place in broad daylight seemingly without any restrictions.

The Minister has called for citizens to begin to take responsibility for keeping Castries clean. We agree, but those who are charged with this mandate, the various agencies of the state and the municipality such as The Ministries of Health, Environment and Social Transformation, the Castries City Council, the Solid Waste Management Authority and others must set the example. A new agenda must now be set complete with laws, regulations and penalties for offenders.