Little Diamond Burial Ground still not cleaned

Feb 13, 2012 News

Despite an article being published in the January 26 edition of this newspaper, the deplorable condition of the Little Diamond cemetery remains unchecked.

Residents are still hoping to see this cemetery clean.

“More of a haven for bandits, than one for the dead”, was how the residents of Little Diamond described their community’s burial ground, which borders Little Diamond and Diamond communities, including the squatting settlement known as ‘Skull City’.
“We paying rates and taxes and them just giving them junkies two to three hundred dollars fuh weed the burial ground, lil bit. This can’t wuk, that place needs heavy machinery,” said Ernest Persaud, a resident.
“I’m scared to leave my kids home alone because you never know who or what could come out from that forest behind we house and harm them. Luckily, I was home when we found both the snake and alligator in our backyard,” Persaud revealed.
He added that despite him making numerous complaints to the Chairperson of the Neighbourhood Democratic Council, no concerted effort is being made to address the concerns.
Kaieteur News was told that the cemetery was last cleaned two years ago.
“The bush is three times longer than the people. We can’t find we relatives in deh, and we got to pay to bury we dead. I want to know how them gon find space fuh bury other people dead, because even if it get, we can’t find it in this jungle,” said one elderly woman.
Persons in the area explained that while they want to speak out, they are scared of being victimized by the NDC official.
A reporter from this newspaper was verbally abused by the said NDC official during an attempt to solicit a comment from her on the burial ground situation.
Residents said that when another television news outfit visited the area to feature it on the channel’s weekly “Village Talk”, they were prevented from going anywhere near the deplorable burial ground.
Meanwhile, the residents are calling on the higher authorities to look into not only the condition of the burial ground, but the management of the Little Diamond/Herstelling Neighbourhood Democratic Council as well.