Savannah or food village?

THE EDITOR: Like everyone trying to keep fit and lead a healthy lifestyle, I frequent the “Eddie Hart Food Village,” formally known as the Eddie Hart Savannah, to get in a little exercise. For those who may not be aware, the savannah was the second largest in Trinidad, second only to the Queen’s Park Savannah.

In 2013, Dr Selwyn Cudjoe wrote an article, titled “Preserving the Tacarigua Savannah,” going into the history of the savannah and up to then its slow degradation.

The article is just as relevant today and maybe even more than it was then, as the savannah is now a food village. The paved car park is now littered with food trucks and tents spread over the entire area. It was limited to the west side of the car park but has crept to take over the entire paved area.

What makes it worse is that some food vendors use ropes, chairs, oil kegs or any scrap available to cordon off the few remaining car park spots. There is no drainage for these trucks and tents in the centre of the car park so waste water goes into a bucket and overflows onto the entire space.

In the 1950s residents lost the fight to prevent the savannah from being divided and sold. In the 1970s we as a people lost the fight to prevent further sub-division and sales to residential developments and as commercial space. And in 2013, we lost the fight against the further separation of lands for the now National Racquet Centre. We cannot afford another loss. What is happening to our green spaces? Let us preserve the little we have left.

We have heard the lectures from the Health Minister concerning diet and exercise. Will we lose exercise to diet in the literal sense?

DEV SINGH

via e-mail