Solid Waste Director says… City garbage situation under control

Sep 26, 2017 News

Solid Waste Director- Walter Narine

With the withdrawal of the services of its two main solid waste contractors, the Georgetown Mayor and City Council,(M&CC) has upped the ante to tackle the garbage situation in around the various wards of the city.
Addressing, the full council at a statutory meeting at the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, yesterday, Solid Waste Director, Walter Narine, gave an update on how the departments are coping with the situation.
He noted that it has been eight weeks since contractors withdrew their services but the municipality has hired two small contractors to collect the garbage around the city.
Narine told the council, “We have been managing despite the challenges with very little hiccups. Today, as we speak everything is pretty much under control.”
The Solid Waste Director noted; however that the garbage collection continues to pose a challenge in the commercial areas of the city.
While the remarks expressed by Narine were widely received by members of the council, Councillor representing East and West Ruimveldt, Georgetown, Winston Harding, noted that residents in his constituents are not having their garbage collected.
“I am being bombarded with telephone calls and I wish for this matter to be addressed,” he said.
Last 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 said.
The City 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, last month, City Hall’s Public Relation’s Officer, Debra Lewis, told Kaieteur News, “We are collecting the garbage and trying our best to alleviate and keep the solid waste situation under control.”
In a subsequent statement, City Hall explained that as part of the ongoing public health awareness efforts by the Council, Environmental Health Officers (EHO) and their assistants attached to 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, EHOs 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.

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