Enforce environment regulations stringently

THE EDITOR, Madam:

The prime minister recently visited the site where Gordon Town main road has been damaged, and expressed his frustration at residents who ignored environmental regulations by building in areas which made them vulnerable to the catastrophic events of the past months. The message was clear, this devastation was entirely of their own making.

The irony of this statement was glaring. Isn’t this the same prime minister who has overturned the decision of the National Environment and Planning Agency to facilitate a mining licence despite being warned of irreparable damage? Gordon Town residents, have simply mirrored, albeit on a smaller scale, the failure to abide by environmental regulations.

It is the Government’s responsibility to enforce regulations, and these settlements did not materialise overnight. However, the failure to address the persistent issue of squatting only served to encourage its growth.

This Government recently announced its intention to take $57 billion from the National Housing Trust to buttress the battered economy. Why was this money, that was clearly available, not used to build houses in safe areas for these people, who, in desperation, resorted to recklessly constructing houses along riverbanks?

The Government must seriously start by setting an example by respecting environmental regulations. It will also have to embrace its responsibility to monitor developments and enforce laws where there are breaches.

MARIA MUTIDJO