— to introduce mandatory fee next celebration

THE Mayor and City Council (M&CC) will next year, introduce a mandatory fee for the cleaning up of vending spots along the Mashramani route, as efforts to have vendors and citizens cooperate to better dispose of their garbage were futile this year.

On Sunday morning, the Guyana Chronicle met up with Georgetown Mayor Ubraj Narine; Solid Waste Management Director Walter Narine and Councillor Denroy Tudor who spoke on these matters.

At the time, they were assisting with the clean-up of the 2019 Mash route. The clean-up was a collaborative effort between the Solid Waste Management and City Engineer Department.

On Republic Day, Saturday, workers walked behind the last float picking up garbage and went home during the wee hours on Sunday, only for some of these and others to return at 05:00hrs the same day.

When this newspaper met with them around midday, the team had cleared over 30 tonnes of garbage and, while the clean-up is customary under the current administration, the council leaders revealed a startling truth.
“We gave out about 3,000 bags to vendors [on Saturday morning] and none were actually used. We placed skip bins at strategic locations and said to ourselves that it will be an easy way for vendors to have access to dispose of the bags when filled,” Mayor Ubraj Narine said.

He added: “When we turned up this morning there were actually no bags that we gave to them; everything was on the ground and the floor. Yesterday, I was out here and I saw people drink their beers and they ate their food and they threw it in the gutters. Looked at me, the mayor, and threw it into the gutter. It is a sad moment for us and we can’t get anywhere with such a behaviour.”

These sentiments were shared by Solid Waste Management Director Walter Narine. “What we had done yesterday morning was to issue at least 3,000 bags to vendors and families who were out here early, for them to dispose of their garbage properly. We even put 12-10×6 skip bins at strategic locations and asked them to use those. To our dismay, when we passed here last night behind the last float and up to this morning, the bins were empty and we see no signs of the garbage bags.”

MUST STOP
The mayor said while they are not attacking residents of Georgetown, as others from across the country including non-residents who also were present, the culture of wanton littering has to change.
He explained that while the M&CC has its job to do, residents also must not operate with the mindset that they can do as they please, because a plan for cleaning up afterwards exists.
Narine added that cleaning behind floats is a very strenuous task, and the workers who did the job had to sacrifice their Republic Day and time with their families.

Looking back, the mayor believes that the money spent to facilitate the large clean-up could have been used to fund other projects in the city.
“We’re hoping that next year we’d incorporate a cost for cleansing, and if we come and we see the area was kept clean, we will refund you that money. If not, we’re just going to take that money to fund cleansing,” Narine said.
This new mandatory requirement will go for small vendors, as well as large businesses, which often host their own vending and entertainment sessions at the roadside.
The mayor also expressed, that when citizens and vendors can begin to tidy up after themselves following national celebrations such as Mashramani, there will be less garbage to collect and a smaller workforce would be needed.

CAN BE DONE
“We can do it together. Don’t depend on City Hall, or the mayor or the councillors for your area to do it by themselves. Come out and meet with them; get to know them and we will work together,” he encouraged.

“We’re looking for that kind of cooperation next year, when you do take a spot out here and you’re vending; cooperate with us. We gave you garbage bags; there will be bins placed; use it,” he said.

Despite the unfortunate situation, Councillor Tudor said the MCC will continue to do its work, and it aims to form better relationships with its workers who bear the brunt of the work in such times.
“As this new council, we truly understand the importance of having an excellent relationship with our workers; coming out and working with them foot-on-foot because we don’t believe that all of the work of our council should be simply when you go to City Hall,” Tudor said.

Through participating in the exercise, he said that they have come to understand the challenges of workers, as it relates to food and water under the conditions.
“We want to advise the residents of Georgetown, as well as persons that regularly visit Georgetown — whether it’s for work; study and so forth — that we want to improve the standard of the city,” he said.

He added: “We want to ensure that this city is the premier city, not only for Guyana but for the Caribbean region. So, moving forward, each and every single person that traverses or comes into the city, must be able to understand that the role of keeping the city clean is not simply the City Council’s responsibility, but it’s certainly an effort that is shared between the city and the residents.”