I, and I am certain the residents of Palmiste, Gulf View, Coconut Drive, Green Acres, Les Efforts West and environs, thank Ravi B for bringing the Chutney Soca Monarch show to a "premature" end at 4 am on February 20. Otherwise, the show would have gone on for another two hours or so, much to the discomfort of the residents of the above-mentioned areas. The show was carded to start at 8 pm. It did not get going until 9.30 pm, with a burst of fireworks -the loudest I have ever heard-setting off building and car alarms and sending dogs running helter skelter. This was not all!
At 1 am, there was another burst of fireworks to greet the Prime Minister, with total disregard for old people, sick people (heart cases, hypertensive cases) and children trying to sleep. Sunday is also a working day for some. I understand permission was granted for fireworks only at 8 pm. In addition, the noise level throughout the show was unbearable. I wonder if there was any EMA officer there monitoring the noise level. Skinner Park is surrounded by residential areas and it is very unfair for the San Fernando City Corporation and the EMA to grant permission for events there to go beyond midnight, with no measures in place to deal with the offence of noise pollution.
I hope in future the mayor of San Fernando and the CEO of the EMA will do their duty to uphold the law, and not allow us citizens to continuously suffer the effects of unregulated, excessive noise. Perhaps the organisers of this chutney soca show can consider starting it at 1 pm and also consider the San Fernando Hill as a venue. That way their noise levels will disturb many less citizens and they can contribute to T&T progressing as a nation, not the other way round.
S Persad
San Fernando