Ignored by the city, one man begins cleaning city drains on his own

After pleading for support from the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown (M&CC) but to no avail, one resident of High Street, Georgetown has taken it upon himself to lead a clean-up exercise aimed at unclogging blocked drains that have significantly contributed to flooding in the area.

The News Room caught up with Darrell Carpenay on Tuesday at High Street, Georgetown where he and two volunteers were busy replacing drain covers along the street after successfully desilting the drains.

Frustrated at the flooding situation when it rains, on Sunday last Carpenay and a few volunteers began clearing the drains on High Street between Harel Street and Princess streets.

“The Mayor has been here, the Deputy Mayor has been in this area and they are well aware that there is flooding in this area. They’re well aware that these drains need desilting but … nothing has been done,” Carpenay said.

With no help from the relevant authorities, Carpenay saved his own personal finances, received donations, mustered a few volunteers, and got to work on the project which has thus far cost over $750,000.

For Carpenay “it’s about community service and keeping the community clean”.

He explained that what frustrates him the most is that potentially thousands of persons traverse the thoroughfare on a daily basis, including school children. who must walk through sewage water when the area is flooded.

“When the rain falls and it floods, the water that accumulates is very nasty … and people have to be taking off their shoes to walk through the flood waters and that is unacceptable in an environment that is supposed to be safe and clean,” he said.

Carpenay is calling on businesses in the vicinity to desist from allowing waste to enter the drainage systems and to play their part in keeping the drains unclogged. He also called on residents to desist from littering which also causes the drains to clog.

Carpenay hopes that the M&CC would visit the site to inspect the drains and assist in clearing them.