Another vehicle to be added to New Amsterdam MTC

Apr 27, 2009 News

NEW AMSTERDAM, BERBICE – A third tractor/trailer is to be added to the fleet belonging to the New Amsterdam Town Council by mid-May and this should alleviate some of the problems facing the municipality.

According to the Public Health Inspector for New Amsterdam, Ackloo Ramsudh, there are problems with the collection and disposal of garbage and with the availability of resources.

At present, two tractors and trailers serve the entire town of New Amsterdam. Some 8,000 households fall within this catchment area.

A survey that was spearheaded by the New Amsterdam Action Group (NAAG) revealed that New Amsterdam produces 12 tonnes of solid waste daily.

The two tractor/trailers available can only remove 50 percent of that total. Last year the Council prepared a schedule for the town. This must be constantly revised.

Mr. Ackloo explained that only if this schedule is modified could the target be realized.

The schedule states that garbage is to be collected on Monday and Tuesday in Smythtown (Philadelphia Street to Vryheid Street both east and west).

On Wednesday one tractor goes to Queenstown and Winkel while the other goes to Stanleytown on Wednesday and Thursday.

On Thursday the Tucber/Smythfield area is serviced. Friday is for the schemes – Savannah Park, Forty-one and Amsville and Pearl Stewart along with Vryman’s Erven including Berbice Scheme, Errol’s Ville and Mayor and Town Council Housing Scheme.

According to the schedule, Mount Sinai, Islington, Overwinning, Gay Park, Glasgow, New Doe Park areas are done on Saturday.

In reality, the collection on the specified days in these communities has not materialized due to several constraints.

One of the tractors must be released when needed to assist in the cleaning of the drainage system and this adds more pressure on an already tight schedule.

The vehicles are more than ten years old and as such experience several mechanical problems.

Sourcing of spare parts is also another setback. The down time because of mechanical problems is alarming but there is nothing the cash strapped council can do. Access to the dumpsite is also another issue.

The New Amsterdam Town Council allows private persons to use the dumpsite. Since the council cannot afford security guards at the location, persons misuse the facility and it is now in a deplorable state.

In the absence of recycling and composting everything, including construction, medical and other industrial waste is taken to this very dumpsite.

The council does not own a bulldozer to prepare the site for the volume of daily waste thrown. The New Amsterdam Municipality intends to upgrade the access road to the dumpsite to an all weather facility.

According to Mr. Ackloo, household waste must be conveniently packed for easy access and removal when the collection crew is ready.

There are those who construct concrete or wooden bins and then dump their waste without first packing it in bags. This cannot be acceptable, he said.

The Public Health Inspector for New Amsterdam called on persons to use plastic bags or other suitable containers that would allow for easy removal.

At some homes, there are no bins and the waste is not properly stored, this contributes to the disruption of the collection schedule.

He explained that the term ‘garbage’ refers to waste gathered from the garden and yard, refuse is household waste. The Council is only responsible for household waste, which would be garbage and refuse.

There is also limited manpower and this is because property tax collection, which is the main source of income for the council, is poor. At any given time, only a 30 percent is collected.