This morning, a group Belize City residents living East and West Canal Streets in Belize City called our newsroom to investigate some fishy business. They say that for a few days now, the waters of the canal have been stifling them with the stench of dead fish that are now trapped in it.
These residents say that they've been living with the awful smell since last week Wednesday. After inspecting the length of the canal for themselves, they say that someone loaded up a pile of clay in the canal. It is believed that it was done as part of an active IDB project to improve the infrastructures for the canal itself. Works are being done for flood mitigation, but these residents say that this is a classic case of progress bringing problems. Because of the blockade of a portion of the canal, all the canal dwellers are dying out.
Grace Flowers, a Justice of the Peace who lives near the canal, granted us an interview to complain bitterly against the persons who blocked the natural flow of the canal with these piles of clay. Here's what she had to say:
Grace Flowers - Rocky Road Resident
"Right around here, I don't know who came up with this silly idea here to shut off the canal from one end to the next. We [who live] around here are punishing right now. We have to wear masks due to coronavirus. Now, we have to wear masks all day due to dead fish and the canal? That's not right. The canal is blocked off, all the fishes are dying. All the dirt is backing up. The canal is dry. This is beyond foolishness."
"I have breathing problems, and now, this will make it worse. You are in your house, you smell the canal. When these fishes start to float up, what do you think will happen? Those who live in their residential area aren't going to smell this sh**. Whoever came up with this silly idea needs to fix this. Only dumb numbskulls are planning this foolishness."
This afternoon, we spoke with the Deputy Mayor, Michael Norales and he told us that the City Engineer would be able to provide more insight into the work that is happening on the canal itself. Unfortunately, the City engineer was unable to take our calls because he was attending several meetings today.
We are told that the Ministry of Works is currently dredging and aligning the canal to improve its drainage performance. Part of the planned improvements for the canal includes the installation of sluice gates.
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