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Harbour Bridge breakdown hindering garbage collection in city — as Puran Bros. Garbage Disposal trucks stranded at West Dem
The accident which rendered the Demerara Harbour Bridge, (DHB) inoperable for more than 24 hours has resulted in an increased pile up of garbage in the commercial wards of the City.
One of the affected sections after it was cleared of garbage.
Garbage pile in a commercial area of the city
Officials from the Georgetown Mayor and City Council, (M&CC) told media operatives at City Hall yesterday that the accidental damage to the DHB has hindered the work of Puran Brothers, who are one of their main garbage contractors.
According to the officials, Puran Brothers Garbage Disposal, which is resident in West Demerara has been unable to send garbage trucks over to Georgetown for the usual waste collection due to the collapse.
Town Clerk (Ag) of the Georgetown Council, Sharon Jerrick explained that trucks attached to the company have been stuck on the west–side.
“The garbage disposal company is resident outside the jurisdiction of Georgetown and as a result their trucks traverse the bridge to get to and from the city.”
Jerrick said that the accident on the DHB has negatively impacted the city, due to the pile up of garbage in the main commercial areas.
“We are currently looking at alternative methods to address the situation and seeking the cooperation of our citizens to not participate in dumping of waste and assist where necessary to ensure that our city remains free of litter.”
Mayor of Georgetown, Ubraj Narine emphasized the impact that the situation has on the city’s commercial district.
“The garbage is piling up but the council and administration has been working tremendously to get the garbage off the streets.”
Narine explained that he has been in contact with Puran Brothers since the bridge went down.
“Puran’s Brothers had promised to utilise a barge to cross the river, but they had some difficulty with that,” the Mayor said.
He explained too that the Council could not engage the smaller contractors, since it will cost much more money than the municipality can afford.
“So, we are trying our best to get this matter solved. From the time the accident took place and the bridge went down, the Town Clerk, Solid Waste Director and I have been in touch to ensure that the garbage is kept under control,” Narine added.
The Mayor explained further that the Solid Waste Director and City Engineer have been working with tractor/trailers on the streets to clear as much garbage as possible.
The Mayor said that due to the cooperation within the departments, the significant amount of the garbage was cleared within two hours
“People need to be more responsible with their disposal, as citizens of Georgetown we must work to create a Guyana we all can be proud of.”
Mayor Narine implored particularly the business entities to desist from dumping waste in the city.
“That will cause more chaos in the city at this point and time. Puran Brothers is responsible for collecting waste in group two and ten of Georgetown. These are the main commercial areas.”
Solid Waste Director, Walter Narine told the media that the Council is using “whatever resources available to clear the streets block- by –block.
He noted however that the alternative method has proven to be not as effective as the Puran’s garbage compactors.
“We are hopeful that the bridge will be operational within the next 24 hour to facilitate the traffic and Puran’s will come over to the city,” Narine said.
The DHB went down on Monday after a drifting barge, towed by a tug, crashed into a section of the bridge, causing it to become misaligned.
The incident has hindered the flow of traffic crossing to and from West and East Demerara and since then, DHB officials have been working nonstop to ensure that the bridge’s operations are back to normal.
After hours of working to rectify the problem, DHB announced yesterday that the crossing will be open to light traffic.
DHB has said that it will notify the public when the crossing can facilitate a heavier flow of traffic.
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