City Hall sees drastic reduction in cost for collecting garbage

City Hall sees drastic reduction in cost for collecting garbage – Solid Waste Director

Oct 05, 2017 News

More than 10,000 tons of Garbage has been collected from across the city within the past eight weeks. This is according to Solid Waste Director of the Mayor and City Council of Georgetown, Walter Narine.
Narine, giving an update on the garbage situation in the City, noted that the City has been working collectively with two small contractors for the past eight weeks. According to Narine, the work conducted in the city has so far cost City Hall $14 million.
The Solid Waste Director explained that our bills to the other contractors would have been around $43million per month.
“With the previous contractors it cost us $3 million per day to remove garbage from the city but it is now costing us, around $300,000.”
Narine noted that after the city decided to take on the work, there has been a drastic reduction in the cost for solid waste management. The Director explained that there is a major challenge with garbage removal and disposal.
He noted that there is still a major challenge with the Haags Bosch landfill since it closes at 20:00 hours. Also, there is still dumping in various spots in the city. Narine said that the City is working to have these challenges addressed.
Last month, City Hall was left to grapple with the responsibility of collecting garbage from several wards around the city after solid waste contractors, Cevon’s Waste Management and Puran Brothers, withdrew their services. Their action stemmed from the Council’s reluctance to settle an outstanding balance of 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 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 Relations Officer, Debra Lewis, told Kaieteur News, “We are collecting the garbage and trying our best to 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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