BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Apr. 26, 2018– The silt that has formed at the Yarborough Bridge, where Collet Canal empties into the Caribbean Sea, is not only an eye sore, but the stench coming from it may be a health hazard to area residents.

Silt has been accumulating at this spot since Mayor Zenaida Moya’s time at City Hall, 3 years ago (how long was that?), and very little has been done about it since that time.

Mayor Darrell Bradley and his team had promised that the canal would have been dredged, but this was never done, and now the silt is choking the canal from the Mex Avenue Bridge all the way to Yarborough Bridge.

Amandala today asked city councilor Michael Noralez what the new PUP City Council would do about this situation, and how soon they would do it.

Noralez said that they already spoke with Mr. Arsenio Burgos yesterday. We took him out there and we were shown what needs to be done, how quick it can be done and from where the work should start,” he explained.

Councilor Noralez said that because the silt has accumulated all the way up to Mex Avenue Bridge, they first have to start from there.

“Over this weekend, Mr. Burgos said that he will get his people to go out there and begin the work of measuring and determine how fast it can be done,” he said.

   Councilor Noralez, under whose portfolio sanitation falls, says Mayor Wagner agreed that the silt in Collet Canal is urgent and has to be dealt with before the arrival of the 2018 Hurricane Season.

“Somehow, we will get it done, even if we have to file a payment plan with CISCO,” Councilor Noralez said.

We asked Councilor Noralez if he knows when was the last time that dredging was done on the canal.

“I remember just before the 2015 general elections, there was a big showcase that they [the UDP] were going to put in gates, but they did nothing. Mr. Burgos also advised us, why put in pumps when we can put in other structures that would work even better, and all we would have to do is to maintain the exits,” Councilor Noralez replied.