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City Hall grapples with mounting garbage crisis
calls on residents to be more responsible for waste collection
By Rehanna Ramsay
One of the mounting garbage piles around the city
With the withdrawal of the services of their main contractors, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council,(M&CC) is faced with mounting garbage problems across several wards of the city.
A quick scan of downtown Georgetown revealed mounting garbage piles at almost every major business location; a consequence of the crisis City Hall faces.
The M&CC has since hired two small waste collection entities as part of efforts to alleviate the solid waste problems. Giving an update on the situation, Public Relations Officers (PRO) of the Georgetown M&CC, Debra Lewis explained that a tour was organised to assess the situation and ensure that garbage is being collected.
The tour of the city was conducted yesterday.
Earlier this month, City Hall was left to grapple with responsibility of collecting garbage from several wards around the city after solid waste contractors, Cevon’s Waste Management and Puran Brothers withdrew their services over the Council’s reluctance to settle an outstanding balance with them amounting to some $300 million.
Residents have since been complaining bitterly about the mounting garbage piles outside their doors despite making up to date payments for rates and taxes.
“We can’t understand; is a steady thing with City Hall, every time is a money problem and is everybody got to suffer because the Council claims that some people owe back taxes,” one resident from Agricola asserted.
The Georgetown Council is tasked with garbage collection for areas of the city, spanning from Agricola to Cummings Lodge, Greater Georgetown.
Following an assessment of the solid waste situation in the city, yesterday Lewis told Kaieteur News, “We are collecting the garbage and trying our best to alleviate and keep the solid waste situation under control.”
Addressing reports that citizens are being forced to pay contractors to collect garbage despite fulfilling their obligations to City Hall, Lewis warned that persons should not be tricked into paying for a service which is already catered for by the municipality.
“We have received reports that a certain group is going around collecting money under pretext that they are working for the Council, but we have warned citizens not to fall prey to that situation,” Lewis said
“Citizens should not be paying for the service,” she added.
In a subsequent statement to the press, it was explained that as part of the ongoing public health awareness efforts by the Council, Environmental Health Officers (EHO) and their assistants attached the M&CC have been focusing their attention on the provisions of garbage receptacles by property owners around the city.
Among the areas of focus, EHO are asking property owners to be cognizant of the manner in which they store and dispose of their waste.
“The Municipal and District Council Act Chapter 28:01 stipulates that all owners /occupiers of properties within the City must provide receptacles on their premises for the proper storage and disposal of their waste.”
Additionally, the Council explained that the receptacles should be covered and positioned in a manner which is accessible to its servants.
The council reminded that it is the duty of the property owners, to among other things, have their surrounding parapets and pavements swept and cleaned daily.
The statement by City Hall outlined that a preliminary report from the EHO suggests that many residents have been complying with some of the by –laws.
However, there are those who continue to use the alleyways, parapets and abandon yards as garbage receptacles.
“The Council is therefore calling on all residents to ensure that they have receptacles to dispose of waste in an environmentally friendly manner.
This is necessary not only to keep the environment clean, but to ensure the integrity of the public health of the city.”
The Council warned too, against the practice of deliberate acts of dumping garbage in certain sections of the city
“Those persons, once they are found, will be prosecuted by the City Constabulary,” the Council warned, in the statement .
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