Why must we act this way?

 

LAST Saturday, I was invited as part of the management of a newspaper to attend a session with the Heads of the agencies responsible for the response to the challenges which faced Worthing Beach and the South Coast Sewage Project.
 
Heading into the meeting, I was acutely aware of the special circumstances which surround the project. Let me be upfront, I tend to avoid the provocative, though while noting it, but look at the history of the situation, whilst looking at the ways in which the issues related to the project could be solved. Note was also taken of the frankly irresponsible statements which others in the media have carried in relation to the challenges which the project has continued to face.
 
So I walked into the meeting with other colleagues which sought to allay the fears and concerns which we as media heads have heard about from our readers. We heard from the Ministry of Health, the Environmental Protection Department, the Barbados Water Authority (BWA) and the Barbados Tourism Investment Inc. (BCCI) about the problems which were caused as a result of the historic rains which fell on November 29, 2016.   
 
I must commend the professionals involved, aka the technocrats, for stepping up to the plate and facing down any questions which the media had on the issue. Going forward, I hope that this is a template for other officers involved in meeting the challenges which this country will face from time to time. It should be a template for Ministers and CEOs out there, to face criticism with a combination of mastery of facts and a plan to address concerns. Barbadians are fair people and once presented with facts, respond in the affirmative fashion, once they are satisfied that 
the issue is under control.
 
That being said… I have to respond to the irresponsible statements which some public figures have made on the issue. Why is it that instead of calling on the relevant agencies to tackle the situation, that politics has to be injected into every issue? It is called the silly season for a reason and I have concluded that we as citizens must separate ‘fact from fiction’.   
 
This island’s economy and country has shown signs of recovery over the last few weeks, so of course the next crisis must take centre stage. Listening to the explanations about the challenges of the South Coast Sewage Project, shows that the people who have to respond are on top of the situation. I think they would concede that they perhaps were slow in letting the public know the gravity of the situation and the responses which were required. It was a responsible step to take.
 
It is a first step but everything takes time.
 
The criticism is something which must be looked at in context.  Screaming headlines following the initial event, would have left the average readers to conclude that there is a mass exodus of visitors from the area until you delve down into the story to truly understand where journalism has evolved into in 2016. One only had to look at Facebook to see the responses to the press conference by Ministers Sealy and Boyce on the issue. Some called for Ministers of the Crown to get sick and others openly challenged that the results of the tests, which concluded that the beach was safe, were untrue.  
 
Our political discourse has so tainted regular functions that we are in a defining space in our history – 50 years on – the ill-informed and those who abide in what could best be determined as the evolving ‘Fox News’ space are a lost cause. 
 
It is fine to be angry if things are not going well. In a democracy, we expect our leaders and those who aspire to be, to act responsibly. If we allow institutions to be torn down, then like the natural drought, the civility in this country will be reduced to the current level of tripe that it has become. We have gone from a country that looks at problems with clarity to a developing nation which distrusts official information from official sources – believes WhatsApp and other social media posts – and information only if it comes from someone whom the intended target supports. We are so busy that the term ‘I hear’ eclipses the usual “let me find out”.
 
The South Coast project has reached critical mass. As part of the critical tourist belt, it has to function effectively. For all of the talk of vision, why has the criticism not focused on the fact that the system was made to handle waste, but not wastewater? Who approved it, commissioned it and hoisted it on Barbadians?   
 
As usual, crickets will be loudest as the ‘Fox News’ noise cannot handle truth. Where was the vision to see that as part of the tourism belt that development in and around the South Coast would be inevitable? But are we supposed to accept that in 2016, cries of innocence should suffice from those who seek to absolve themselves of any responsibility in the matter? Unless serious changes are made to the project, it will continue to face challenges.   
 
We must also accept that the wrong types of items are making their way into the system, complicating the management of the whole structure. Much like the ‘Cahill’ debate, Barbadians are unwilling to face the fact that behaviours need to change. You cannot dump what you like but as soon as a problem happens, you have no responsibility in the matter. Typical transfer of blame.
 
Finally, a word on the Graeme Hall Nature Sanctuary. The point was made that the swamp is separated into three sections – the eastern side which was cleared by the Drainage Division, the Central area where the sluice gate exists and the western section currently in private hands. My suggestion would be for Government, in avoiding a repeat of this issue, to look at acquiring this property and putting systems in place to mitigate against future challenges. Tourism interests, the safety and general well-being of residents, businesses and the general public must take priority. Sure this can be something which all parties can agree to.

Barbados Advocate

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