Why no word of Abercromby river in budget?

THE EDITOR: It is truly appalling that after a budget of five-plus hours, not a single mention of the river that runs from the entrance to the national library to lower Abercromby Street in Port of Spain was mentioned, simply because such an eyesore is not a priority for any government, opposition or regional corporation official (that means you, Mayor Alleyne).

It is a travesty that WASA cries out that there are 20 million gallons short in the nation's damns, because there must have been 20 million gallons wasted in the years this spring has served as a homeless bath. And I mean people stripped naked to bathe and defecate indecently daily, and nothing is done. Citizens also couldn't care less, since they continue to park with half their car in the river and half in the road.

Only recently I saw a picture of a Tida stuck in a hole in the river. This alone should tell you how bad it is, as well as illustrate that people are willing to dump their vehicle in a river bed rather pay $75 to park. In so doing, the parking pandemic is on, and I am also wondering why a status update on parking meters was left out of the five-plus hours budget.

To add to the shame, the entrance to the Ministry of Public Administration's office is now dug out completely and everyday the permanent secretary drives in, damages his paid-for-by-the-public Prado and does nothing, as the iron sheet covering the gap is now afloat. Maybe the minister parachutes in. The entrance to the Trinidad Guardian is also in this river.

How degenerate can a street in the capital get? At the moment the river has washed away about 30 per cent of the road. I wonder if the Minister of Works ever saw it. I can excuse Richie Sookhai since he is accustomed to seeing rivers flooding the lagoon.

Likewise, I'm hoping my erstwhile civic-minded colleague Linus Didier can also visit and put pen to paper on it the next time WASA comes to moan about how much water we don't have, or the ministry talks about how great the capital's streets are.

Indeed, a riverine capital courtesy the PNM.

LINDA CAPILDEO

St James