90% of waste blocking drains, canals are Styrofoam, plastic bottles –Local Government Minister -says blockage of canals, drains is a significant contributor to the slow receding pace of water

MINISTER of Local Government and Regional Development, Norman Whittaker is appealing to the private sector, which he describes as “the biggest contributor” to improper solid waste disposal to desist from giving their garbage to social rejects. 

Minister of Local Government Norman Whittaker
Minister of Local Government Norman Whittaker

Coming against the backdrop of floods which swept through sections of Georgetown on Thursday, Whittaker explained that a team headed by Walter Narine, the solid waste director at the City Council, has been working along with his Ministry to combat the issue through the removal of solid waste.
According to the minister, while the Ministry has been supplying the team with support by way of machinery and equipment, they have been moving through various areas of Georgetown, cleaning up the public spaces and the canals.
According to reports, Whittaker revealed, about that 90 per cent of what the team has cleaned thus far, comprises Styrofoam boxes and plastic bottles. These he added, are not only found on the roadways and corners, but were removed from drains and canals. “And it is the people who put them there… It is Guyanese who put them there,” Whittaker posited.
He further noted that the team continued their work yesterday, along Avenue of the Republic, Regent Street, Water Street and Church Street. “So they have been covering these areas for the purpose of removing unsightly garbage on the roadside and in the canals,” he said.
However, Whittaker disclosed that another team, of which the City Engineer is a part of, is looking to see where there are blockages within the internal drains. “If you go along Regent Street, Water Street, Main Street, you will see clear evidence that there is free movement of water in most places, there is evidence of blockage in other areas” he explained, noting that this happens primarily in the areas where citizens have these large concrete drains.
“It is difficult to get under these concrete drains to do the kind of clean-up work and desiltation that we wish to do. I want to use this opportunity to appeal mostly to the private business people, the business people who are the biggest contributor to the waste along Regent Street, Main Street and Water Street corridor, I appeal to them to desist from giving their garbage to social rejects who deposits anywhere and everywhere,” the Minister said yesterday.
Notwithstanding that, Whittaker assured that they are working to get pumps to aid in the removal of the waste and where it is not possible, a “clean-up team,” in the form of manual labour will intervene. To this extent, he stressed that the blockage is one of the significant contributor to the fact that water has not been receding at the pace they would like.

(Ravin Singh)

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