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Sustainability key for cleanup efforts – Solid Waste Director
…as fire service conducts massive cleanup
The cleanup spirit has gripped the entire city of Georgetown. Almost daily, a walk through popular parts of Georgetown would afford the sight of people cleaning up the streets, enthusiasm clearly evident.
Only yesterday, the Guyana Fire Services joined the growing list of entities that have selflessly given their time and energy to cleaning up huge piles of garbage.
However, though the efforts have been highly lauded, sustainability will be the next step in ensuring that Georgetown truly earns its title as “the Garden City”.
This is according to Solid Waste Management Director with the City Council, Walter Narine. Hundreds of firefighters simultaneously conducted cleanup efforts across Guyana, Narine opined that maintaining their hard work is paramount.
Narine was present yesterday as about a hundred Georgetown firefighters took to the Stabroek Market Square to undertake a huge cleanup drive.
Narine explained that the City Council has recently been constantly approached by entities to conduct cleanup efforts.
“It’s not only the Fire Service that approached us; all over Guyana people want to clean up their communities,” he said.
He said that the Fire Service collaborated with the City Council and other businesses, such as BK International, to conduct the undertaking. He added that the City Council provided machinery, tools and bags to help the effort. He estimated that in excess of 30 tonnes of waste were collected by the Fire Service yesterday alone.
“You feel light and different; this is a massive effort,” Narine said.
However, he said, it now comes down to the City Council to maintain the new appearances.
As part of this maintenance, Narine said that a designated crew will be stationed near the Stabroek Market to man the area and ensure that the clean up efforts do not go to waste.
Furthermore, clean up efforts are already scheduled for the next few days, he said. He shared that Middle and Waterloo Streets will be cleaned today, with Swansea and Republic Bank on board, while tomorrow, the 704 Complex will do cleanup along Lamaha Street. These efforts will follow cleanup efforts by other corporate entities including Gizmos and Gadgets and John Lewis Styles.
“So every day we have businesses approaching us. The cleanup is nice and we welcome it but now we have to sit down and think about sustainability of this cleanup effort. The City Council is mandated by law to sustain the cleanup,” Narine said.
Massive mobilization
The mandate for yesterday’s cleanup efforts by the Fire Services seemed to be “go big or go home”; while about 100 firefighters were cleaning up by the Stabroek Market, hundreds more from across 13 other fire stations were simultaneously cleaning as well.
The idea was conceptualized by Deputy Chief Fire Officer Nigel Gravesande who presented the idea to his senior; in less than 48 hours, his concept became a reality.
According to Compton Sparman, Divisional Officer of Operations for the Guyana Fire Services, the project was a special one which had been spurred on by the desire to do more for Guyana.
“We looked at the country and see other people cleaning up, we saw the arch renovations and so on and thought that we should be no different; we’re part of society. So we came together as firefighters with our energies and put it to cleaning up,” he said.
He further said that the cleanup efforts commenced at 9:00am and within a few hours they were able to see massive change. He said too that the response from the public in such a short time was “immaculate and massive”.
“The people gave us kudos. Even vendors and drivers came out to help. Ashmin’s provided us with bags without us asking; everyone just came on board.” However, he too believes that it is important that the efforts are maintained.
“We want to ensure that it’s maintained…it’s a collaborative effort to keep this place clean. We want to enhance our city; we want to bring this place from the Garbage City back to the Garden City and if everyone starts in a small way, eventually we can achieve this objective.”
He added that there won’t be need for much cleanup if the littering culture in Guyana is changed.
The campaign they were running before was about pick up but I don’t believe in that. I believe that you shouldn’t throw down. Once you don’t throw you can’t pick up! The campaign should be ‘don’t throw’; simple,” he said.
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