‘Refrain from dumping garbage into river’ – Cyrus

Retired surgeon Dr Cecil Cyrus is calling on persons living in the areas of Old Montrose/Gibson Corner to refrain from dumping garbage into the river that runs through his property.

The prominent and well respected citizen has complained that debris from the river ends up on his property at New Montrose/Government House Road and causes damage whenever there is heavy rainfall. He suspects that the garbage comes from persons living {{more}}along the river bank.

On Wednesday, St Vincent and the Grenadines suffered from heavy rainfall, which caused flooding and land slippage and damage in a number of areas, including on Dr Cyrus’ property.

Cyrus, now 87 years old, said the river, which runs through the western area of his property, was a quagmire that he spent a lot of time, energy and money to remedy.

Having resided on that property since 1966, the physician explained that he first encountered problems in 1990, when on one September morning he discovered that a bathtub had blocked a bridge that connects his yard, causing water to overflow into his yard. He also noted that at that time, he operated a hospital and the overflowing water destroyed his X-ray machine.

Since then, he said, debris continues to wash on to his property whenever there is heavy rainfall. He related that during the severe rainfall in 2013, which claimed the lives of a number of persons, the water, helped by debris, broke open a gate he had placed in the man-made stream and destroyed a wall on his property.

“There were four blockages!” he recalled.

Cyrus said the debris often comprises old television sets, car tires and logs, among other items. He suspects that the debris originates from persons in the area who dispose of their garbage in the river, along with downed trees.

“Since 2013 they seemed to have acknowledged that the people have said to them ‘do not throw stuff in the river,’ but they started again this time,” he said.

Cyrus noted that at one point, the trunk of a mango tree blocked the drain at the car park of his museum and caused the water to rise 10 feet and flood the car park.

He added that from that incident, 10 truck loads of soil had to be removed.

On Wednesday, Cyrus told SEARCHLIGHT that he has lived on the property for 50 years and has never experienced such severe rainfall, which he attributed to global warming.

“The last time we had heavy rain here several weeks ago, everything went down beautifully; I mean the level didn’t rise at all, because it was free passage.”

However, on Wednesday, damage and debris could be seen on the property.

Cyrus also complained that persons would throw bottles and other items over the wall of his property, which is located along the Leeward highway, into his garden.

“This really hurts, I don’t want to have any confrontation with them,” said the elderly man. (AS)